An adsorption device for extracting lithium from seawater

Abstract

The present invention relates to the technical field of lithium extraction from seawater, and provides an adsorption device for extracting lithium from seawater, comprising at least: an adsorption body, which is a plate-shaped structure with an inner cavity, the inner cavity having a water inlet surface and a water outlet surface facing each other; an adsorbent, which is filled in the inner cavity, and the water inlet surface and the water outlet surface are both provided with a filter screen to prevent the adsorbent from escaping; a limiting structure, which is provided on the adsorption body and is suitable for keeping the water inlet surface and the water outlet surface perpendicular to the flow direction of the seawater when the adsorption body is located in the seawater. In this adsorption device, under the action of the limiting structure, the water inlet surface and the water outlet surface of the adsorption body when located in the seawater remain perpendicular to the flow direction of the seawater, and the seawater's own flow is utilized to continuously enter the inner cavity, and then lithium is extracted from the seawater through the adsorbent in the inner cavity. Compared with loading the adsorption device on the bottom of a ship, the adsorption device in this application has a higher single-time desorption capacity of lithium, can reduce the physical loss of the adsorbent to the high-flow seawater, and is conducive to reducing the cost of lithium extraction.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of lithium extraction from seawater, and in particular to an adsorption device for extracting lithium from seawater. Background Art

[0002] Because seawater has a very low lithium concentration, typically only 0.01-0.03 ppm, lithium extraction from seawater has long been a global challenge. Previous attempts have involved installing adsorption devices on the bottom of ships, which then perform desorption upon docking. However, this method only desorbs a small amount of lithium per trip, and the high velocity of seawater at high speeds causes significant physical damage to the adsorbent, resulting in high extraction costs. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Therefore, the technical problem to be solved by the present invention is that in the prior art, an adsorption device is loaded on the bottom of a ship, and desorption is performed once when the ship docks. This lithium extraction method has a small amount of lithium desorbed in a single time, and the high-velocity seawater when the ship is traveling at high speed causes large physical losses to the adsorbent, resulting in a high cost of lithium extraction. Thus, an adsorption device for extracting lithium from seawater is provided.

[0004] In order to solve the above technical problems, the technical solutions of the present invention are as follows:

[0005] An adsorption device for extracting lithium from seawater comprises at least: an adsorption body, which is a plate-like structure with an inner cavity, the inner cavity having a water inlet surface and a water outlet surface arranged facing each other; an adsorbent filled in the inner cavity, the water inlet surface and the water outlet surface both being provided with a filter screen to prevent the adsorbent from escaping; and a limiting structure provided on the adsorption body, which is suitable for keeping the water inlet surface and the water outlet surface perpendicular to the flow direction of the seawater when the adsorption body is located in the seawater.

[0006] Furthermore, the limiting structure includes a sleeve, a first rope body, an anchor and a buoy; the sleeve is inserted into the inner cavity, one end of the first rope body extends into the sleeve and extends out of the inner cavity through the sleeve; the anchor is arranged at one end of the first rope body, and the buoy is arranged at the other end of the first rope body.

[0007] Furthermore, the limiting structure also includes a counterweight; the counterweight is arranged at one of the top corners of the adsorption body; the sleeve is arranged along the diagonal direction of the counterweight on the adsorption body, so that when the adsorption body is located in the seawater, the top corner of the adsorption body where the counterweight is arranged is set toward the seabed.

[0008] Furthermore, the adsorption device for extracting lithium from seawater also includes a rope buckle and a second rope body; the rope buckle is arranged at one of the top corners of the adsorption body, and the line connecting the top corner where the rope buckle is located and the top corner where the counterweight is located is parallel to the axial direction of the sleeve; the second rope body is suitable for connecting multiple adsorption bodies through the rope buckle.

[0009] Furthermore, the sleeve is detachably inserted into the inner cavity.

[0010] Furthermore, the limiting structure further includes a limiter, which is provided on the first rope body and is suitable for limiting the movement of the adsorption body along the length direction of the first rope body.

[0011] Furthermore, the adsorption body has a feed surface, the feed surface is provided with a pull-out plate, and the pull-out plate is slidably connected to the adsorption body.

[0012] Furthermore, the connections of the other three surfaces of the adsorption body except the feed surface, the water inlet surface and the water outlet surface are sealed.

[0013] Furthermore, the water inlet surface and the water outlet surface are both provided with splicing pieces, and the multiple adsorption bodies are connected in series via the splicing pieces.

[0014] Furthermore, the adsorbent includes one or more of a manganese ion sieve adsorbent, a titanium ion sieve adsorbent, and a manganese-titanium ion sieve adsorbent.

[0015] The technical solution of the present invention has the following advantages:

[0016] The adsorption device for extracting lithium from seawater provided by the present invention has an adsorption body, under the action of a limiting structure, in which the water inlet and outlet surfaces of the adsorption body remain perpendicular to the flow direction of the seawater when located in the seawater. The flow of the seawater itself is utilized to allow the seawater to continuously enter the inner cavity, and then the seawater is extracted with lithium through the adsorbent in the inner cavity. Compared with loading the adsorption device on the bottom of a ship and performing desorption once when the ship docks, the adsorption device in the present application has a higher single-time desorption capacity of lithium, can reduce the physical loss of the adsorbent to the adsorbent by high-flow seawater, and is conducive to reducing the cost of lithium extraction. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] In order to more clearly illustrate the specific embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the specific embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0018] Figure 1Schematic diagram of an adsorption device for extracting lithium from seawater in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of an adsorption device for extracting lithium from seawater in an embodiment of the present invention in a working state;

[0020] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the adsorption device for extracting lithium from seawater in an embodiment of the present invention in a spliced ​​state.

[0021] 1. Adsorption body; 2. Inner cavity; 3. Water inlet surface;

[0022] 4. Out of the water; 5. Sleeve; 6. First rope body;

[0023] 7. Buoy; 8. Anchor; 9. Limiter. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] The technical solution of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the embodiments described are only some embodiments of the present invention, not all embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field based on the embodiments of the present invention without making any creative efforts shall fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0025] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that the terms "center," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicating orientations or positional relationships, are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings and are intended solely to facilitate and simplify the description of the present invention. They are not intended to indicate or imply that the devices or components referred to must have, be constructed, or operate in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as limitations on the present invention. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0026] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, the terms "mounted," "connected," and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, they may refer to fixed, detachable, or integral connections; mechanical or electrical connections; direct or indirect connections through an intermediate medium; and internal communication between two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0027] In addition, the technical features involved in the different embodiments of the present invention described below can be combined with each other as long as they do not conflict with each other.

[0028] Figure 1Schematic diagram of an adsorption device for extracting lithium from seawater in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an adsorption device for extracting lithium from seawater in an embodiment of the present invention in a working state; FIG. Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, this embodiment provides an adsorption device for extracting lithium from seawater, which at least includes: an adsorption body 1, which is a plate-like structure with an inner cavity 2, and the inner cavity 2 has a water inlet surface 3 and a water outlet surface 4 facing each other; an adsorbent filled in the inner cavity 2, and the water inlet surface 3 and the water outlet surface 4 are both provided with a filter to prevent the adsorbent from escaping; a limiting structure is provided on the adsorption body 1, suitable for keeping the water inlet surface 3 and the water outlet surface 4 perpendicular to the flow direction of the seawater when the adsorption body 1 is located in the seawater.

[0029] Specifically, the adsorption body 1 can be a rectangular plate, and the two largest surfaces of the adsorption body 1 can be used as the water inlet surface 3 and the water outlet surface 4. The length of the entire rectangular plate can range from 10cm to 300cm, the width can range from 10cm to 300cm, and the thickness can range from 0.5cm to 10cm. In order to be used in seawater for a long time and to prevent the entire adsorption device from being subjected to excessive thrust from seawater, the filter material can be made of a light, fine, tough, and corrosion-resistant material such as PVC. In addition, the adsorption body 1 can be made of a light, tough, and corrosion-resistant material.

[0030] The adsorption device for extracting lithium from seawater provided in this embodiment has an adsorption body 1, under the action of a limiting structure, in which the water inlet surface 3 and the water outlet surface 4 remain perpendicular to the flow direction of the seawater when the adsorption body 1 is located in the seawater. The flow of the seawater itself is utilized to allow the seawater to continuously enter the inner cavity 2, and then the seawater is extracted with lithium through the adsorbent in the inner cavity 2. Compared with loading the adsorption device on the bottom of the ship and performing desorption once when the ship docks, the adsorption device in the present application has a higher single-time desorption capacity of lithium, which can reduce the physical loss of the adsorbent to the high-flow seawater, and is conducive to reducing the cost of lithium extraction.

[0031] The limiting structure includes a sleeve 5, a first rope 6, an anchor 8, and a buoy 7. The sleeve 5 is inserted into the inner cavity 2, and one end of the first rope 6 extends into the sleeve 5 and out of the inner cavity 2 through the sleeve 5. The anchor 8 can be tied to one end of the first rope 6, and the buoy 7 can be tied to the other end of the first rope 6. Preferably, the sleeve 5 is removably inserted into the inner cavity 2. For example, a sliding groove can be provided on the outer wall of the sleeve 5, extending along the axial direction of the sleeve 5, and a clamping block is provided at a corresponding position in the inner cavity 2. The clamping block is engaged with the sliding groove, allowing the sleeve 5 to be inserted and removed from the inner cavity 2.

[0032] Among them, the limiting structure also includes a counterweight; the counterweight is arranged at one of the top corners of the adsorption body 1; the sleeve 5 is arranged along the diagonal direction of the counterweight on the adsorption body 1, so that when the adsorption body 1 is located in the seawater, the top corner of the adsorption body 1 where the counterweight is arranged is set toward the seabed.

[0033] Among them, the adsorption device for extracting lithium from seawater also includes a rope buckle and a second rope body; the rope buckle is arranged at one of the top corners of the adsorption body 1, and the line connecting the top corner where the rope buckle is located and the top corner where the counterweight is located is parallel to the axial direction of the sleeve 5; the second rope body is suitable for connecting multiple adsorption bodies 1 through the rope buckle.

[0034] Among them, the limiting structure also includes a limiter 9, which is arranged on the first rope body 6 and is suitable for limiting the movement of the adsorption body 1 along the length direction of the first rope body 6. For example, two limiters 9 can be arranged at intervals on the first rope body 6, and the adsorption body 1 is located between the two limiters 9, so that the adsorption body 1 cannot move up or down along the first rope body 6. For example, the limiting member can be a ring member with a size larger than the inner diameter of the sleeve 5. The limiting member can be fixed to the first rope body 6 after the adsorption body 1 is connected to the first rope body 6. Under the action of the limiting member, the adsorption body 1 is kept in a suitable position below the water surface, which is conducive to improving the lithium extraction effect.

[0035] The adsorption body 1 has a feed surface, the feed surface is provided with a pull-out plate, and the pull-out plate is slidably connected to the adsorption body 1. For example, the pull-out surface can be the top surface of the adsorption body 1. For example, the connection structure between the pull-out plate and the adsorption body 1 can be a drawer-type structure.

[0036] Among them, the other three surfaces of the adsorption body 1 except the feed surface, the water inlet surface 3 and the water outlet surface 4 can be fixedly connected, and the connection points are sealed to improve the strength of the entire adsorption device.

[0037] Figure 3 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an adsorption device for extracting lithium from seawater in an embodiment of the present invention in a spliced ​​state, as shown in FIG. Figure 3 As shown, both the water inlet surface 3 and the water outlet surface 4 are provided with splicing parts, and multiple adsorption bodies 1 are connected in series through the splicing parts. The splicing parts can be plug-in connectors, such as pins and sockets, or snap-on connectors, such as snap fasteners. The purpose is to enable multiple adsorption bodies 1 to be connected to each other through the water inlet surface 3 or the water outlet surface 4.

[0038] The adsorbent includes one or more of a manganese ion sieve adsorbent, a titanium ion sieve adsorbent, and a manganese-titanium ion sieve adsorbent. The adsorbent has the following characteristics: fast adsorption rate, high adsorption capacity, adsorbent density similar to seawater, low physical dissolution loss, and strong corrosion resistance. After the adsorbent is loaded, when the cross-sectional flow velocity of seawater relative to the water inlet surface 3 exceeds 5 m / s, the pressure drop between the water inlet surface 3 and the water outlet surface 4 is close to zero.

[0039] When the adsorption device is operated in the sea, Figure 2 As shown, an anchor 8 is lowered on the seabed, and a buoy 7 floats on the sea surface. The buoy 7 can have a built-in GPS positioning device. A vehicle carrying an adsorption device, such as a ship, first retracts the buoy 7 and the first rope 6, removes the buoy 7, and passes the first rope 6 through one end of the sleeve 5 and out from the other end of the sleeve 5. Then, one end of the first rope 6 is connected to the buoy 7, and the other end is connected to the anchor 8. Multiple adsorption bodies 1 are then connected in series through the second rope body and the rope buckle. Afterwards, the adsorption devices are placed into the sea one by one, and the adsorption work can be carried out. When recovering the adsorption device, the buoy 7 is also retracted first, and the adsorption devices can be recovered one by one by tightening the second rope body. Depending on the characteristics of the local ocean current, one first rope body 6 can carry one or more adsorption bodies 1.

[0040] The adsorption device for extracting lithium from seawater in the present application, due to the presence of the counterweight and the design that the overall density of the adsorption device is lower than the density of seawater, plus the anchor 8 as a fulcrum, after the adsorption device slides into the sea, it faces the ocean current with a square water inlet surface 3. Due to the sheet design of the adsorption body 1, the short side is only 0.5-10cm. Assuming that the effective adsorbent loading length of the short side is 1cm, when the ocean current speed is 2cm / s (lower than the average speed of deep-sea currents), the amount of seawater flowing through the adsorption device per hour is 7200 times the volume of the adsorbent. Taking this as an example, when the lithium concentration of seawater is 0.01ppm, it only takes 2-3 days to complete the adsorption and recover the adsorption device. Moreover, since a single adsorption device is very light and the adsorbent loading amount is not large, a new adsorption device can be replaced to continue adsorption while recovering the adsorption device, thereby maintaining the continuity of adsorption production.

[0041] The adsorption device for extracting lithium from seawater in this application is designed with a splicing piece, so that the sleeve 5 in each adsorption body 1 can be disassembled and the water inlet surface 3 or the water outlet surface 4 can be buckled together face to face to connect them together, such as Figure 3 As shown, after connecting multiple adsorption devices, water washing and desorption can be easily achieved. It is worth noting that because the lithium ion sieve water washing and desorption process is very simple and fast, it only requires a small ship equipped with the corresponding equipment, carrying a certain volume of deionized water and desorbent to complete the desorption on board.

[0042] In summary, the adsorption device for lithium extraction from seawater in this application fully utilizes the advantages of the new lithium ion sieve adsorbent, has a high adsorbent utilization rate, and makes the global problem of lithium extraction from seawater possible; moreover, it is easy to operate, eliminating the energy cost that is originally the largest in seawater lithium extraction, which is to drive seawater through the adsorbent. The overall operating efficiency is high, the adsorption process can be completed within 2-3 days, and it is almost unrestricted by objective factors, so that sustainable lithium extraction from seawater can be achieved in global waters.

[0043] Obviously, the above embodiments are merely examples for clarity of explanation and are not intended to limit the implementation methods. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that other variations or modifications based on the above descriptions are possible. It is not necessary and impossible to enumerate all implementation methods here. Obvious variations or modifications arising therefrom remain within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An adsorption device for extracting lithium from seawater, characterized in that: At least: The adsorption body is a plate-like structure having an inner cavity, wherein the inner cavity has a water inlet surface and a water outlet surface facing each other; An adsorbent is filled in the inner cavity, and both the water inlet surface and the water outlet surface are provided with a filter to prevent the adsorbent from escaping; a limiting structure, provided on the adsorption body, adapted to keep the water inlet surface and the water outlet surface perpendicular to the flow direction of the seawater when the adsorption body is located in the seawater; The limiting structure includes a sleeve, a first rope body, an anchor and a buoy; The sleeve is inserted into the inner cavity, and one end of the first rope body extends into the sleeve and extends out of the inner cavity through the sleeve; The anchor is arranged at one end of the first rope body, and the buoy is arranged at the other end of the first rope body; The limiting structure further includes a counterweight; The counterweight is arranged at one of the top corners of the adsorption body; The sleeve is arranged along the diagonal direction of the counterweight on the adsorption body, so that when the adsorption body is located in the seawater, the top corner of the adsorption body where the counterweight is arranged is arranged toward the seabed; The water inlet surface and the water outlet surface are both provided with splicing pieces, and the multiple adsorption bodies are connected in series through the splicing pieces.

2. The adsorption device for extracting lithium from seawater according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a rope buckle and a second rope body; The rope buckle is arranged at one of the vertex corners of the adsorption body, and the line connecting the vertex corner where the rope buckle is located and the vertex corner where the counterweight is located is parallel to the axial direction of the sleeve; The second rope body is suitable for connecting a plurality of the adsorption bodies through the rope buckle.

3. The adsorption device for extracting lithium from seawater according to claim 1, characterized in that: The sleeve is detachably inserted into the inner cavity.

4. The adsorption device for extracting lithium from seawater according to claim 1, characterized in that: The limiting structure further includes a limiter, which is provided on the first rope body and is suitable for limiting the movement of the adsorption body along the length direction of the first rope body.

5. The adsorption device for extracting lithium from seawater according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The adsorption body has a feed surface, the feed surface is provided with a pull-out plate, and the pull-out plate is slidably connected to the adsorption body.

6. The adsorption device for extracting lithium from seawater according to claim 5, characterized in that: The connections of the other three surfaces of the adsorption body except the feed surface, the water inlet surface and the water outlet surface are sealed.

7. The adsorption device for extracting lithium from seawater according to claim 1, characterized in that: The adsorbent includes one or more of a manganese ion sieve adsorbent, a titanium ion sieve adsorbent and a manganese-titanium ion sieve adsorbent.

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