A highly efficient process to enhance the bioleaching of spent lithium-ion batteries by bifunctional pyrite combined with elemental sulfur

Bioleaching technologies have been shown to be an environmentally friendly and economically beneficial tool for extracting metals from spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). However, conventional bioleaching methods have exhibited low efficiency in recovering metals from spent LIBs. Therefore, relied on the sustainability principle of using waste to treat waste, this study employed pyrite (FeS2) as an energy substance with reducing properties and investigated its effects in combination with elemental sulfur (S0) or FeSO4 on metals bioleaching from spent LIBs. Results demonstrated that the bioleaching efficiency was significantly higher in the leaching system constructed with FeS2 + S0, than in the FeS2 + FeSO4 or FeS2 system. When the pulp densities of FeS2, S0 and spent LIBs were 10 g L−1, 5 g L−1 and 10 g L−1, respectively, the leaching efficiency of Li, Ni, Co and Mn all reached 100%. Mechanistic analysis reveals that in the FeS2 + S0 system, the activity and acid-producing capabilities of iron-sulfur oxidizing bacteria were enhanced, promoting the generation of Fe (Ⅱ) and reducible sulfur compounds. Simultaneously, bio-acids were shown to disrupt the structure of the LIBs, thereby increasing the contact area between Fe (Ⅱ) and sulfur compounds containing high-valence metals. This effectively promoted the reduction of high-valence metals, thereby enhancing their leaching efficiency. Overall, the FeS2 + S0 bioleaching process constructed in this study, improved the leaching efficiency of LIBs while also effectively utilizing waste, providing technical support for the comprehensive and sustainable management of solid waste.