Research on lithium recovery processes, a key material in the electric vehicle battery recycling market, is gaining attention in the domestic academic community.
On July 14, Dong-A University announced that Kim Minhyuk, a master's student in the Department of Energy Resources Engineering (supervised by Professor Cha Jongmun), received the Excellent Paper Presentation Award at the 124th Spring Conference of the Korean Society of Resources Engineering in 2025.
Kim Minhyuk, a master's student in the Department of Energy Resources Engineering at Dong-A University, is taking a commemorative photo after receiving the Excellent Paper Presentation Award from the Korean Society of Resources Engineering. Provided by Dong-A University
Kim presented his research, "Study on Lithium Recovery from Spent LFP Batteries," in the "Applied Geology and Environmental Geochemistry" session, drawing considerable attention. The research focused on developing a leaching process to selectively recover high-purity lithium (Li) from lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries, whose usage has recently surged.
In this study, Kim conducted leaching experiments by varying the concentrations of sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄) and ammonium bisulfite (NH₄HSO₃).
In particular, by demonstrating the possibility of environmentally friendly and efficient lithium recovery from spent battery waste, the study is expected to contribute to addressing the unstable supply of rare metals.
Kim stated, "I am pleased that my work has been recognized as a meaningful research achievement at a time when battery resource recycling is essential," adding, "I will continue to focus on developing practical technologies."
He is currently conducting related research through two projects supported by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy: "Data Science-Based Oil and Gas Exploration" and the "Specialized Workforce Training Project for Core Materials of Secondary Batteries for Energy Storage in Medium-Sized Companies."
Founded in 1961, the Korean Society of Resources Engineering is a leading academic organization in the field of energy and mineral resource development and utilization in Korea. It publishes professional journals both domestically and internationally, including the "Journal of the Korean Society of Mineral and Energy Resources Engineers" and "Geosystem Engineering." This spring conference was held at Phoenix Island Jeju, with participation from experts both from Korea and abroad.
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