Effective Treatment of Acidic Effluent Generated from Li-ion Battery Recycling

Dhvani Purohit; Kadari Ramaswamy; Anoop Satheesh Kumar; Priyadarshini Bais; Ratheesh Ravendran; Ajay Kaushal

doi:doi:10.11648/j.ijmpem.20251004.15

Research Article |

| Peer-Reviewed

Effective Treatment of Acidic Effluent Generated from Li-ion Battery Recycling

Dhvani Purohit

, Kadari Ramaswamy

, Anoop Satheesh Kumar

, Priyadarshini Bais

, Ratheesh Ravendran

, Ajay Kaushal^*

Published in International Journal of Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy (Volume 10, Issue 4)

Received: 23 September 2025 Accepted: 9 October 2025 Published: 30 October 2025

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Abstract

The present study investigates a comprehensive treatment strategy for managing acidic effluent generated during the hydrometallurgical processing of discarded lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), specifically following cobalt oxalate precipitation. The effluent, characterized by extremely low pH (0.1), high total dissolved solids (TDS = 50,000 mg/L), and elevated chemical oxygen demand (COD = 1640 mg/L), was treated through a sequential combination of coagulation, adsorption, and distillation. Coagulation using ferric sulfate achieved 34% TDS reduction through precipitation of dissolved metal ions and oxalates. Subsequent adsorption employing thermally activated carbon derived from waste RO filters further reduced TDS by ~55% due to enhanced surface area and porous structure. Final distillation at 150°C yielded a >99% decrease in TDS and COD, producing condensate meeting CPCB discharge standards (TDS = 79 mg/L, COD = 32 mg/L). The integrated approach effectively transformed a high-strength acidic effluent into reusable water while concentrating recoverable metal residues. A preliminary techno-economic assessment indicated that the process is technically viable and scalable, with energy consumption during distillation being the major cost factor. The study demonstrates a sustainable and resource-efficient treatment pathway for LIB recycling effluents, contributing toward circular economy and zero-liquid discharge objectives.

Published in	International Journal of Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy (Volume 10, Issue 4)
DOI	10.11648/j.ijmpem.20251004.15
Page(s)	143-159
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2025. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Effluent Treatment, LIBs Recycling, Coagulation, Adsorption, Distillation

References

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Purohit, D., Ramaswamy, K., Kumar, A. S., Bais, P., Ravendran, R., et al. (2025). Effective Treatment of Acidic Effluent Generated from Li-ion Battery Recycling. International Journal of Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy, 10(4), 143-159. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijmpem.20251004.15

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ACS Style

Purohit, D.; Ramaswamy, K.; Kumar, A. S.; Bais, P.; Ravendran, R., et al. Effective Treatment of Acidic Effluent Generated from Li-ion Battery Recycling. Int. J. Miner. Process. Extr. Metall. 2025, 10(4), 143-159. doi: 10.11648/j.ijmpem.20251004.15

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AMA Style

Purohit D, Ramaswamy K, Kumar AS, Bais P, Ravendran R, et al. Effective Treatment of Acidic Effluent Generated from Li-ion Battery Recycling. Int J Miner Process Extr Metall. 2025;10(4):143-159. doi: 10.11648/j.ijmpem.20251004.15

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@article{10.11648/j.ijmpem.20251004.15,
  author = {Dhvani Purohit and Kadari Ramaswamy and Anoop Satheesh Kumar and Priyadarshini Bais and Ratheesh Ravendran and Ajay Kaushal},
  title = {Effective Treatment of Acidic Effluent Generated from Li-ion Battery Recycling
},
  journal = {International Journal of Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy},
  volume = {10},
  number = {4},
  pages = {143-159},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ijmpem.20251004.15},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijmpem.20251004.15},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijmpem.20251004.15},
  abstract = {The present study investigates a comprehensive treatment strategy for managing acidic effluent generated during the hydrometallurgical processing of discarded lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), specifically following cobalt oxalate precipitation. The effluent, characterized by extremely low pH (0.1), high total dissolved solids (TDS = 50,000 mg/L), and elevated chemical oxygen demand (COD = 1640 mg/L), was treated through a sequential combination of coagulation, adsorption, and distillation. Coagulation using ferric sulfate achieved 34% TDS reduction through precipitation of dissolved metal ions and oxalates. Subsequent adsorption employing thermally activated carbon derived from waste RO filters further reduced TDS by ~55% due to enhanced surface area and porous structure. Final distillation at 150°C yielded a >99% decrease in TDS and COD, producing condensate meeting CPCB discharge standards (TDS = 79 mg/L, COD = 32 mg/L). The integrated approach effectively transformed a high-strength acidic effluent into reusable water while concentrating recoverable metal residues. A preliminary techno-economic assessment indicated that the process is technically viable and scalable, with energy consumption during distillation being the major cost factor. The study demonstrates a sustainable and resource-efficient treatment pathway for LIB recycling effluents, contributing toward circular economy and zero-liquid discharge objectives.
},
 year = {2025}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Effective Treatment of Acidic Effluent Generated from Li-ion Battery Recycling

AU  - Dhvani Purohit
AU  - Kadari Ramaswamy
AU  - Anoop Satheesh Kumar
AU  - Priyadarshini Bais
AU  - Ratheesh Ravendran
AU  - Ajay Kaushal
Y1  - 2025/10/30
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DO  - 10.11648/j.ijmpem.20251004.15
T2  - International Journal of Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy
JF  - International Journal of Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy
JO  - International Journal of Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy
SP  - 143
EP  - 159
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2575-1859
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijmpem.20251004.15
AB  - The present study investigates a comprehensive treatment strategy for managing acidic effluent generated during the hydrometallurgical processing of discarded lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), specifically following cobalt oxalate precipitation. The effluent, characterized by extremely low pH (0.1), high total dissolved solids (TDS = 50,000 mg/L), and elevated chemical oxygen demand (COD = 1640 mg/L), was treated through a sequential combination of coagulation, adsorption, and distillation. Coagulation using ferric sulfate achieved 34% TDS reduction through precipitation of dissolved metal ions and oxalates. Subsequent adsorption employing thermally activated carbon derived from waste RO filters further reduced TDS by ~55% due to enhanced surface area and porous structure. Final distillation at 150°C yielded a >99% decrease in TDS and COD, producing condensate meeting CPCB discharge standards (TDS = 79 mg/L, COD = 32 mg/L). The integrated approach effectively transformed a high-strength acidic effluent into reusable water while concentrating recoverable metal residues. A preliminary techno-economic assessment indicated that the process is technically viable and scalable, with energy consumption during distillation being the major cost factor. The study demonstrates a sustainable and resource-efficient treatment pathway for LIB recycling effluents, contributing toward circular economy and zero-liquid discharge objectives.

VL  - 10
IS  - 4
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Dhvani Purohit

Centre of Excellence on E-waste Management, Centre for Materials for Electronics Technology, Hyderabad, India

Contact Email

http://orcid.org/0009-0005-2576-3199
Kadari Ramaswamy

Centre of Excellence on E-waste Management, Centre for Materials for Electronics Technology, Hyderabad, India

Contact Email

http://orcid.org/0009-0002-2175-5042
Anoop Satheesh Kumar

Centre of Excellence on E-waste Management, Centre for Materials for Electronics Technology, Hyderabad, India

Contact Email

http://orcid.org/0009-0008-5476-8302
Priyadarshini Bais

Centre of Excellence on E-waste Management, Centre for Materials for Electronics Technology, Hyderabad, India

Contact Email

http://orcid.org/0009-0006-6914-6501
Ratheesh Ravendran

Centre of Excellence on E-waste Management, Centre for Materials for Electronics Technology, Hyderabad, India

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http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9542-3983
Ajay Kaushal

Centre of Excellence on E-waste Management, Centre for Materials for Electronics Technology, Hyderabad, India

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http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4397-203X

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APA Style

Purohit, D., Ramaswamy, K., Kumar, A. S., Bais, P., Ravendran, R., et al. (2025). Effective Treatment of Acidic Effluent Generated from Li-ion Battery Recycling. International Journal of Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy, 10(4), 143-159. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijmpem.20251004.15

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ACS Style

Purohit, D.; Ramaswamy, K.; Kumar, A. S.; Bais, P.; Ravendran, R., et al. Effective Treatment of Acidic Effluent Generated from Li-ion Battery Recycling. Int. J. Miner. Process. Extr. Metall. 2025, 10(4), 143-159. doi: 10.11648/j.ijmpem.20251004.15

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AMA Style

Purohit D, Ramaswamy K, Kumar AS, Bais P, Ravendran R, et al. Effective Treatment of Acidic Effluent Generated from Li-ion Battery Recycling. Int J Miner Process Extr Metall. 2025;10(4):143-159. doi: 10.11648/j.ijmpem.20251004.15

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@article{10.11648/j.ijmpem.20251004.15,
  author = {Dhvani Purohit and Kadari Ramaswamy and Anoop Satheesh Kumar and Priyadarshini Bais and Ratheesh Ravendran and Ajay Kaushal},
  title = {Effective Treatment of Acidic Effluent Generated from Li-ion Battery Recycling
},
  journal = {International Journal of Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy},
  volume = {10},
  number = {4},
  pages = {143-159},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ijmpem.20251004.15},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijmpem.20251004.15},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijmpem.20251004.15},
  abstract = {The present study investigates a comprehensive treatment strategy for managing acidic effluent generated during the hydrometallurgical processing of discarded lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), specifically following cobalt oxalate precipitation. The effluent, characterized by extremely low pH (0.1), high total dissolved solids (TDS = 50,000 mg/L), and elevated chemical oxygen demand (COD = 1640 mg/L), was treated through a sequential combination of coagulation, adsorption, and distillation. Coagulation using ferric sulfate achieved 34% TDS reduction through precipitation of dissolved metal ions and oxalates. Subsequent adsorption employing thermally activated carbon derived from waste RO filters further reduced TDS by ~55% due to enhanced surface area and porous structure. Final distillation at 150°C yielded a >99% decrease in TDS and COD, producing condensate meeting CPCB discharge standards (TDS = 79 mg/L, COD = 32 mg/L). The integrated approach effectively transformed a high-strength acidic effluent into reusable water while concentrating recoverable metal residues. A preliminary techno-economic assessment indicated that the process is technically viable and scalable, with energy consumption during distillation being the major cost factor. The study demonstrates a sustainable and resource-efficient treatment pathway for LIB recycling effluents, contributing toward circular economy and zero-liquid discharge objectives.
},
 year = {2025}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Effective Treatment of Acidic Effluent Generated from Li-ion Battery Recycling

AU  - Dhvani Purohit
AU  - Kadari Ramaswamy
AU  - Anoop Satheesh Kumar
AU  - Priyadarshini Bais
AU  - Ratheesh Ravendran
AU  - Ajay Kaushal
Y1  - 2025/10/30
PY  - 2025
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijmpem.20251004.15
DO  - 10.11648/j.ijmpem.20251004.15
T2  - International Journal of Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy
JF  - International Journal of Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy
JO  - International Journal of Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy
SP  - 143
EP  - 159
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2575-1859
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijmpem.20251004.15
AB  - The present study investigates a comprehensive treatment strategy for managing acidic effluent generated during the hydrometallurgical processing of discarded lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), specifically following cobalt oxalate precipitation. The effluent, characterized by extremely low pH (0.1), high total dissolved solids (TDS = 50,000 mg/L), and elevated chemical oxygen demand (COD = 1640 mg/L), was treated through a sequential combination of coagulation, adsorption, and distillation. Coagulation using ferric sulfate achieved 34% TDS reduction through precipitation of dissolved metal ions and oxalates. Subsequent adsorption employing thermally activated carbon derived from waste RO filters further reduced TDS by ~55% due to enhanced surface area and porous structure. Final distillation at 150°C yielded a >99% decrease in TDS and COD, producing condensate meeting CPCB discharge standards (TDS = 79 mg/L, COD = 32 mg/L). The integrated approach effectively transformed a high-strength acidic effluent into reusable water while concentrating recoverable metal residues. A preliminary techno-economic assessment indicated that the process is technically viable and scalable, with energy consumption during distillation being the major cost factor. The study demonstrates a sustainable and resource-efficient treatment pathway for LIB recycling effluents, contributing toward circular economy and zero-liquid discharge objectives.

VL  - 10
IS  - 4
ER  -

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