Lithium extraction equipment and efficient lithium extraction process thereof

Abstract

The application provides a lithium extraction device and an efficient lithium extraction process thereof. It relates to the technical field of lithium extraction and comprises a placing frame, a first heating seat, a leaching tank, a top plate, a driving mechanism, a liquid inlet mechanism and an exhaust mechanism. The outer wall of the leaching tank is mounted on the inner wall of the first heating seat. The top plate is sealingly mounted on the top of the leaching tank through bolts. A discharge pipe is mounted at the bottom end of the leaching tank. The driving mechanism comprises a mounting frame, a double-head motor and a driving key rod. The lithium element is extracted by using the bioleaching method. Through special acidophilic microbial leaching and a series of fine purification, the recovery rate of lithium can reach more than 90%, which is significantly higher than that of the traditional process. The bioleaching process does not produce a large amount of waste residue and harmful gas, reduces the pollution to the environment, conforms to the concept of green chemistry, is friendly to the ecological environment, the bacteria liquid can be lowered into the leaching tank by relying on its own gravity, the bacteria liquid can be discharged more gently, and the activity of the bacteria liquid can be prevented from being damaged by extrusion stress.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of lithium extraction technology, and in particular to a lithium extraction device and its efficient lithium extraction process. Background Technology

[0002] With the increasing global demand for clean energy, lithium-ion batteries, as important energy storage devices, have core components including positive electrode, negative electrode and electrolyte. The demand for lithium, the core raw material of lithium, is also increasing. Recycling metallic lithium is one of the current methods for extracting metallic lithium.

[0003] However, traditional spodumene lithium extraction processes have many problems. For example, the sulfuric acid process requires high-temperature roasting, which consumes a lot of energy and causes severe corrosion to equipment; the limestone sintering process has a low lithium recovery rate and generates a large amount of waste residue, putting significant pressure on the environment. Therefore, developing a new, efficient, low-energy-consumption, and environmentally friendly spodumene lithium extraction process is of great practical significance.

[0004] In particular, stones with low lithium content will be discarded as waste stones, which is not conducive to resource integration and utilization, nor is it conducive to the development of green industries.

[0005] Through special acidophilic microbial leaching and a series of refined purification and enrichment processes, lithium can be effectively extracted from spodumene, with a lithium recovery rate of over 90%, significantly higher than traditional processes. However, the contact reaction cycle between the acidophilic microbial solution and lithium ore is long, usually taking three to seven days. Long-term operation can easily lead to a decrease in the activity of acidophilic microorganisms, making it inconvenient for users to replenish the solution in a timely manner during long-term operation.

[0006] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a lithium extraction device and its efficient lithium extraction process to solve the above-mentioned technical problems. Summary of the Invention

[0007] This invention provides a lithium extraction device and its efficient lithium extraction process, which solves the technical problem in related technologies that the contact reaction cycle between acidophilic microbial solution and lithium ore is long and it is inconvenient for users to replenish the solution.

[0008] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention provides a lithium extraction device, including a placement rack, a first heating seat, a leaching tank, a top plate, a drive mechanism, a liquid inlet mechanism, and an exhaust mechanism;

[0009] The outer wall of the leaching tank is installed on the inner wall of the first heating seat, the top plate is installed on the top of the leaching tank by bolt sealing, and a discharge pipe is installed at the bottom of the leaching tank.

[0010] The drive mechanism includes a mounting frame, a dual-head motor, and a drive key. The mounting frame is installed at the top center of the top plate, the dual-head motor is installed inside the mounting frame at the center, and the drive key is installed inside the dual-head motor. The bottom keyway of the drive key is connected to a first toothed disc, the first toothed disc has a first annular groove inside, and the bottom of the first toothed disc is engaged with a second toothed disc.

[0011] The bottom end of the second toothed disc is connected to a turntable via a keyway, and the bottom end of the turntable is connected to a stirring rod via a keyway. A protrusion is slidably connected inside the turntable, and a sliding rod is fixed to the outer wall of the protrusion inside the turntable.

[0012] The liquid inlet mechanism includes an inlet pipe, a main pipe, and a first limiting plate. The inlet pipe is fixed inside the top plate, the main pipe is fixed to the outer wall of the inlet pipe, and the first limiting plate is fixed to the inner wall of the main pipe and located below the port of the inlet pipe. A first sliding key is slidably connected inside the first limiting plate. A first guide wheel is fixed at the bottom end of the first sliding key, and a first sealing plate is fixed at the top end of the first sliding key.

[0013] The exhaust mechanism includes an exhaust pipe, a vent pipe, and a second limiting plate. The exhaust pipe is fixed inside the top plate and away from the liquid inlet pipe. The vent pipe is fixed to the outer wall of the exhaust pipe. The second limiting plate is fixed to the inner wall of the vent pipe and located below the port of the exhaust pipe. A second sliding key is slidably connected inside the second limiting plate. A second guide wheel is fixed at the bottom end of the second sliding key, and a second sealing plate is fixed at the top end of the second sliding key.

[0014] Preferably, the bottom of the drive key rod extends through the interior of the first gear plate and does not contact the second gear plate. The bottom end of the second gear plate and the top end of the stirring rod are rotatably connected to the top plate through a bearing. The sliding rod is slidably connected between the turntables, and the cross-section of the sliding rod is T-shaped.

[0015] Preferably, the bottom ends of the liquid inlet pipe and the air outlet pipe penetrate the interior of the top plate, the first guide wheel and the second guide wheel are in contact with each other on the upper surface of the turntable and are located in the same horizontal direction, and the distance between the first guide wheel and the center of the turntable is less than the distance between the second guide wheel and the center of the turntable.

[0016] Preferably, the first sealing plate and the second sealing plate both have a tapered cross-section, and the first sealing plate and the second sealing plate respectively seal and close the main pipe and the exhaust pipe.

[0017] Preferably, it also includes a second heating base, a processing tank, a cover plate, a screw conveyor, and a lifting mechanism;

[0018] A side plate is installed on the outer wall of the mounting bracket and outside the dual-head motor. A U-shaped lifting rod is slidably connected inside the side plate. An insert rod is slidably connected to the outer wall of the side plate. A return spring is sleeved on the outer wall of the insert rod. Two positioning holes are opened inside the lifting rod. A third gear plate is connected to the top keyway of the drive key rod. A second annular groove is opened inside the third gear plate. A fourth gear plate is rotatably connected to the top of the mounting bracket. A drive pulley is connected to the top keyway of the fourth gear plate.

[0019] The second heating seat is installed on top of the placement rack, the treatment tank is installed inside the second heating seat, the cover plate is installed on top of the treatment tank by bolt sealing, a screw conveyor is installed at the bottom of the treatment tank, and the outlet end of the screw conveyor is installed on the outer wall of the leaching tank.

[0020] The lifting mechanism includes a positioning frame and an electric cylinder. The positioning frame is installed on the top of the cover plate, and the electric cylinder is installed on the top of the positioning frame. A connecting frame is fixedly provided at the output end of the electric cylinder. A lifting tube is rotatably connected inside the connecting frame. A pointed cone is fixedly provided at the bottom end of the lifting tube. One-way valves are installed on both sides of the lifting tube and above the pointed cone.

[0021] A driven pulley is rotatably connected at the top axis of the cover plate and inside the positioning frame, and belts are sleeved on the outer walls of the drive pulley and the driven pulley.

[0022] Preferably, the upper and lower ends of the lifting rod extend into the interior of the second annular groove and the first annular groove, respectively; the insert rod extends into the interior of the positioning hole; the top end of the drive key rod extends into the interior of the third gear plate and does not contact the fourth gear plate; the two ends of the return spring are fixedly connected to the insert rod and the side plate; the driven pulley and the lifting tube are connected by a keyway; and the lifting tube can slide up and down along the vertical direction of the driven pulley.

[0023] Preferably, it also includes a switching mechanism;

[0024] The switching mechanism includes a switching seat, which is installed on the outer wall of the side plate and located above the insertion rod. A slide rod is slidably connected inside the switching seat, and a first piston and a second piston are fixed on the outer wall of the slide rod. An inlet pipe, a first branch pipe, and a second branch pipe are installed on both sides of the switching seat.

[0025] Preferably, the outer walls of the first and second pistons are tightly fitted to the inner wall of the switching seat, the top end of the slide rod is fixedly connected to the outer wall of the lifting rod, the outlet end of the second branch pipe is sealed to the top end of the lifting pipe through a rotary joint, the bottom end of the first branch pipe penetrates the interior of the top plate, and the second branch pipe and the first branch pipe are located above and below the inlet pipe, respectively.

[0026] The efficient lithium extraction process includes the following steps;

[0027] S1: Ore pretreatment;

[0028] Spodumene ore is crushed to a particle size of less than 2 mm, and then subjected to low-temperature plasma treatment technology. In a specific plasma atmosphere, spodumene is placed in a plasma reaction chamber and treated at 25-60°C and normal pressure for 10-30 minutes. This treatment can change the crystal structure of spodumene and enhance the activity of lithium. This step needs to be completed in a treatment tank.

[0029] S2: Bioleaching;

[0030] Pretreated spodumene is added to a leachate containing special acidophilic microorganisms. These microorganisms are selected from acidic soils rich in lithium ore and can secrete special enzymes and organic acids in an acidic environment to react chemically with spodumene. The pH of the leachate is controlled at 2-3, the temperature is maintained at 20-40℃, and the leaching time is 3-7 days. During the bioleaching process, the organic acids secreted by the microorganisms undergo a complexation reaction with the lithium in the spodumene, dissolving the lithium from the ore and allowing it to enter the leachate for lithium extraction. This step needs to be completed in the leaching tank.

[0031] S3: Leachate purification;

[0032] The leachate after bioleaching contains various impurity ions, such as silicon, iron, aluminum, magnesium, and calcium. First, an appropriate amount of hydrogen peroxide is added to the leachate to oxidize the low-valence iron ions to a higher valence state. Then, the pH of the leachate is adjusted to 5-6, causing impurities such as iron and aluminum ions to precipitate as hydroxides. The precipitate is removed by filtration, resulting in a pre-purified leachate. Next, an ion exchange resin method is used to further remove trace impurities such as calcium and magnesium ions. An ion exchange resin with high selectivity for calcium and magnesium ions is selected. The leachate is passed through an ion exchange column, allowing calcium and magnesium ions to exchange with the exchange groups on the resin, thereby achieving the removal of calcium and magnesium ions.

[0033] S4: Enrichment and extraction of lithium;

[0034] The purified leachate is enriched with lithium using electrodialysis. The leachate is placed in an electrodialysis device, and under the action of a DC electric field, lithium ions migrate through the cation exchange membrane to the cathode chamber, while other anions migrate to the anode chamber. By controlling the operating parameters of electrodialysis, such as voltage, current density, and flow rate, lithium ions are enriched in the cathode chamber. When the lithium ion concentration in the cathode chamber reaches a certain level, lithium is further purified by organic solvent extraction. An extractant with high selectivity for lithium ions, such as a mixture of tributyl phosphate and kerosene, is selected to extract the enriched lithium ions from the aqueous phase to the organic phase. Then, by acid back-extraction, the lithium ions in the organic phase are transferred to the aqueous phase to obtain a high-purity lithium-containing solution.

[0035] Compared with related technologies, the lithium extraction equipment and its efficient lithium extraction process provided by the present invention have the following beneficial effects:

[0036] Compared to traditional designs, this project uses bioleaching to extract lithium. Through leaching with special acidophilic microorganisms and a series of refined purification and enrichment processes, the lithium recovery rate can reach over 90%, significantly higher than traditional processes. The bioleaching process does not produce a large amount of waste residue and harmful gases, reducing environmental pollution and conforming to the concept of green chemistry. It is more environmentally friendly, and all lithium-containing stone materials can be used. Waste stone materials with low lithium content can be centrally used, which is conducive to resource integration and utilization.

[0037] Secondly, compared to traditional designs, this design features a sliding adjustable protrusion that allows for switching between two functions. Moving the protrusion to a position where it contacts the first guide wheel causes it to rotate, opening the first sealing plate and automatically opening the main pipe. The bacterial solution then descends into the leaching tank under its own gravity. This design eliminates the need for a drive to add the bacterial solution, ensuring gentler feeding and preventing damage to the solution's activity from pressure. It also enables quantitative feeding. Simultaneously, moving the protrusion to a position where it contacts the second guide wheel automatically cancels the bacterial solution injection function. During rotation, the protrusion is forced to open the second sealing plate, allowing for automatic venting. The venting method is a more stable, quantitative, intermittent venting, significantly improving the safety of equipment operation. Attached Figure Description

[0038] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without creative effort.

[0039] Figure 1This is a schematic diagram of the optimal structure for the present invention;

[0040] Figure 2 for Figure 1 The diagram shows the back structure.

[0041] Figure 3 for Figure 1 The diagram shows the structure of the drive mechanism.

[0042] Figure 4 for Figure 3 The diagram shows a detailed structural schematic of the drive mechanism.

[0043] Figure 5 for Figure 4 The diagram shows a cross-sectional view of the lifting rod and a schematic diagram of the connection structure with the insertion rod.

[0044] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of the turntable provided by the present invention;

[0045] Figure 7 A schematic diagram illustrating the working state of the first guide wheel controlled by the protrusion when the turntable rotates, as provided by the present invention.

[0046] Figure 8 A schematic diagram illustrating the working state of the second guide wheel controlled by the protrusion when the turntable rotates, as provided by the present invention.

[0047] Figure 9 for Figure 1 The diagram shows the structure of the lifting mechanism.

[0048] Figure 10 for Figure 9 The enlarged structural diagram at point A is shown below;

[0049] Figure 11 for Figure 9 The enlarged structural diagram at point B is shown below;

[0050] Figure 12 for Figure 3 The diagram shows a cross-sectional view of the switching mechanism.

[0051] Figure 13 for Figure 12 The diagram shows the working state of the switching mechanism.

[0052] Explanation of icon numbers:

[0053] 1. Placement rack; 2. First heating base; 3. Leaching tank; 4. Top plate;

[0054] 5. Drive mechanism; 51. Mounting bracket; 52. Dual-head motor; 53. Drive key; 54. First gear plate; 55. First annular groove; 56. Second gear plate; 57. Third gear plate; 58. Second annular groove; 59. Fourth gear plate; 510. Lifting rod; 511. Insert rod; 512. Return spring; 513. Positioning hole.

[0055] 6. Liquid inlet mechanism; 61. Liquid inlet pipe; 62. Main pipe; 63. First limiting plate; 64. First sliding key; 65. First guide wheel; 66. First sealing plate;

[0056] 7. Exhaust mechanism; 71. Exhaust pipe; 72. Exhaust pipe; 73. Second limiting plate; 74. Second sliding key; 75. Second guide wheel; 76. Second sealing plate.

[0057] 8. Switching mechanism; 81. Switching seat; 82. Slide rod; 83. First piston; 84. Second piston; 85. Inlet pipe; 86. First branch pipe; 87. Second branch pipe;

[0058] 9. Lifting mechanism; 91. Positioning frame; 92. Electric cylinder; 93. Lifting pipe; 94. Connecting frame; 95. Cone; 96. One-way valve.

[0059] 10. Second heating seat; 11. Processing tank; 12. Cover plate; 13. Screw conveyor; 14. Discharge pipe; 15. Side plate; 16. Drive pulley; 17. Turntable; 18. Protrusion; 19. Sliding rod; 20. Stirring rod; 21. Belt; 22. Driven pulley. Detailed Implementation

[0060] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0061] This invention provides a lithium extraction device and its efficient lithium extraction process.

[0062] First embodiment:

[0063] Please combine Figures 1 to 8 A lithium extraction device includes a placement rack 1, a first heating seat 2, a leaching tank 3, a top plate 4, a drive mechanism 5, a liquid inlet mechanism 6, and an exhaust mechanism 7.

[0064] The outer wall of the leaching tank 3 is installed on the inner wall of the first heating seat 2, the top plate 4 is installed on the top of the leaching tank 3 by bolt sealing, and the bottom end of the leaching tank 3 is equipped with a discharge pipe 14.

[0065] The drive mechanism 5 includes a mounting frame 51, a dual-head motor 52, and a drive key 53. The mounting frame 51 is installed at the top center of the top plate 4. The dual-head motor 52 is installed at the inner center of the mounting frame 51. The drive key 53 is installed inside the dual-head motor 52. The bottom keyway of the drive key 53 is connected to a first gear 54. The first gear 54 has a first annular groove 55 inside. The bottom of the first gear 54 is engaged with a second gear 56.

[0066] Please see Figure 3 and Figure 4 In the initial state, the first toothed disc 54 and the second toothed disc 56 are meshed with each other. When the dual-head motor 52 is started to rotate counterclockwise, it can drive the first toothed disc 54 to mesh and control the second toothed disc 56 to rotate in conjunction.

[0067] The bottom end of the second toothed disc 56 is connected to a turntable 17 via a keyway. The bottom end of the turntable 17 is connected to a stirring rod 20 via a keyway. A protrusion 18 is slidably connected inside the turntable 17. A sliding rod 19 is fixed on the outer wall of the protrusion 18 and inside the turntable 17.

[0068] The liquid inlet mechanism 6 includes an inlet pipe 61, a main pipe 62, and a first limiting plate 63. The inlet pipe 61 is fixed inside the top plate 4, the main pipe 62 is fixed to the outer wall of the inlet pipe 61, and the first limiting plate 63 is fixed to the inner wall of the main pipe 62 and located below the port of the inlet pipe 61. A first sliding key rod 64 is slidably connected inside the first limiting plate 63. A first guide wheel 65 is fixed at the bottom end of the first sliding key rod 64, and a first sealing plate 66 is fixed at the top end of the first sliding key rod 64.

[0069] Please see Figure 6 The user can push the protrusion 18 towards the left side of the turntable 17. At this time, the protrusion 18 can slide inside the turntable 17 through the sliding rod 19, thereby changing the position of the protrusion 18.

[0070] Please see Figure 7 and Figure 1 The counterclockwise rotating second toothed disc 56 will control the turntable 17 and stirring rod 20 to rotate counterclockwise. When the turntable 17 rotates counterclockwise, it will drive the protrusion 18 to rotate counterclockwise. When the protrusion 18 rotates to the position of the first guide wheel 65, the first guide wheel 65 will drive the first sliding key rod 64 to rise along the vertical direction of the first limiting plate 63 along the shape of the protrusion 18. During the rise of the first sliding key rod 64, it can drive the first sealing plate 66 to rise and separate from the main pipe 62. After separation, the main pipe 62 and the liquid inlet pipe 61 are connected. At this time, the bacterial liquid inside the main pipe 62 is injected into the leaching tank 3 through the liquid inlet pipe 61.

[0071] The exhaust mechanism 7 includes an exhaust pipe 71, an exhaust pipe 72, and a second limiting plate 73. The exhaust pipe 71 is fixed inside the top plate 4 and away from the side of the liquid inlet pipe 61. The exhaust pipe 72 is fixed to the outer wall of the exhaust pipe 71. The second limiting plate 73 is fixed to the inner wall of the exhaust pipe 72 and located below the port of the exhaust pipe 71. A second sliding key rod 74 is slidably connected inside the second limiting plate 73. A second guide wheel 75 is fixed at the bottom end of the second sliding key rod 74, and a second sealing plate 76 is fixed at the top end of the second sliding key rod 74.

[0072] Please see Figure 8 When the protrusion 18 is reset to its initial state, the outer wall of the protrusion 18 will form a complete circle with the turntable 17. At this time, the counterclockwise rotating turntable 17 will cause the protrusion 18 to rotate. During this process, the protrusion 18 will not contact the position of the first guide wheel 65. Instead, the protrusion 18 will abut against the second guide wheel 75, which will drive the second sliding key 74 to control the second sealing plate 76 to open. At this time, the exhaust pipe 72 and the gas outlet pipe 71 are connected, and the gas inside the leaching tank 3 will be discharged through the exhaust pipe 72.

[0073] The bottom of the drive key 53 passes through the interior of the first gear 54 and does not contact the second gear 56. The bottom end of the second gear 56 and the top end of the stirring rod 20 are rotatably connected to the top plate 4 through a bearing. The sliding rod 19 is slidably connected to the turntable 17. The cross-section of the sliding rod 19 is T-shaped.

[0074] The bottom ends of the liquid inlet pipe 61 and the air outlet pipe 71 penetrate the interior of the top plate 4. The first guide wheel 65 and the second guide wheel 75 are in contact with each other on the upper surface of the turntable 17 and are located in the same horizontal direction. The distance between the first guide wheel 65 and the axis of the turntable 17 is less than the distance between the second guide wheel 75 and the axis of the turntable 17.

[0075] The first sealing plate 66 and the second sealing plate 76 both have a tapered cross section, and the first sealing plate 66 and the second sealing plate 76 respectively seal and close the main pipe 62 and the exhaust pipe 72.

[0076] Understandable: From Figure 7 and Figure 8 As can be seen, users can freely choose to assemble a bacterial liquid tank on the outside of the main pipe 62. The bacterial liquid tank can continuously supply leachate to the main pipe 62. Secondly, exhaust gas treatment equipment can be freely installed at the top of the exhaust pipe 72.

[0077] Secondly, the tapered design of the first sealing plate 66 and the second sealing plate 76 can limit the position of the first guide wheel 65 and the second guide wheel 75. When the mounting slot of the turntable 17 and the protrusion 18 rotates to the position of the first guide wheel 65 and the second guide wheel 75, the first guide wheel 65 and the second guide wheel 75 will not be stuck inside the slot, ensuring that the turntable 17 can rotate smoothly.

[0078] Secondly, relying on its own weight, the second sealing plate 76 can also seal and block the pipe by its own weight when the influence of the second guide wheel 75 is lost. The top of the first sealing plate 66 is the bacterial liquid. Under the influence of its own weight and the pressure of the bacterial liquid, the first sealing plate 66 can ensure the seal of the main pipe 62. In order to ensure the sealing performance, the first sealing plate 66 and the second sealing plate 76 can preferably be made of high-quality rubber.

[0079] Please refer to it again. Figure 6 The T-shaped sliding rod 19 can limit the sliding range of the protrusion 18, preventing the protrusion 18 and the turntable 17 from separating. Furthermore, the fit tolerance between the sliding rod 19 and the turntable 17 is small, thus ensuring that the sliding rod 19 can form a stable structure during the sliding process.

[0080] This embodiment

[0081] Compared to traditional designs, this project uses bioleaching to extract lithium. Through leaching with special acidophilic microorganisms and a series of refined purification and enrichment processes, the lithium recovery rate can reach over 90%, which is significantly higher than traditional processes. The bioleaching process does not produce a large amount of waste residue and harmful gases, reducing environmental pollution and conforming to the concept of green chemistry, making it more environmentally friendly.

[0082] Secondly, compared to traditional designs, this design features a sliding adjustable protrusion 18 that allows for switching between two functions. Moving the protrusion 18 to a position where it contacts the first guide wheel 65 causes it to rotate, opening the first sealing plate 66 and automatically opening the main pipe 62. The bacterial solution then descends into the leaching tank 3 due to gravity. This design eliminates the need for a drive to add the bacterial solution, ensuring gentler feeding and preventing damage to the solution's activity from pressure. It also enables quantitative feeding. Simultaneously, moving the protrusion 18 to a position where it contacts the second guide wheel 75 automatically cancels the bacterial solution injection function. During rotation, the protrusion 18 is forced by the second guide wheel 75 to open the second sealing plate 76, achieving automatic venting. The venting method is a more stable, quantitative, intermittent venting, significantly improving the safety of equipment operation.

[0083] Second embodiment:

[0084] Please see Figures 1 to 5 , Figures 8 to 11It also includes a second heating seat 10, a processing tank 11, a cover plate 12, a screw conveyor 13, and a lifting mechanism 9;

[0085] A side plate 15 is mounted on the outer wall of the mounting bracket 51 and outside the dual-head motor 52. A U-shaped lifting rod 510 is slidably connected inside the side plate 15. An insert rod 511 is slidably connected to the outer wall of the side plate 15. A return spring 512 is sleeved on the outer wall of the insert rod 511. Two positioning holes 513 are opened inside the lifting rod 510. A third gear 57 is connected to the top keyway of the drive key rod 53. A second annular groove 58 is opened inside the third gear 57. A fourth gear 59 is rotatably connected to the top of the mounting bracket 51. A drive pulley 16 is connected to the top keyway of the fourth gear 59.

[0086] Please see Figure 4 and Figure 5 During the operation of the first embodiment, when the first toothed disc 54 and the second toothed disc 56 are in a meshing state, the third toothed disc 57 and the fourth toothed disc 59 are in a disengaged state. Therefore, when rotating in the state of the first embodiment, the third toothed disc 57 rotates with no travel.

[0087] The user can pull the insertion rod 511 to separate it from the positioning hole 513, and then slide the lifting rod 510 upward along the vertical direction of the lifting rod 510. During the sliding process, the bottom end of the lifting rod 510 will affect the first annular groove 55 to control the first gear 54 and the second gear 56 to complete the separation, and the top end of the lifting rod 510 will affect the second annular groove 58 to control the third gear 57 to move upward and complete the engagement with the fourth gear 59. (It should be noted that in order to ensure smooth gear engagement, after the first gear 54 and the second gear 56 are separated, the dual-head motor 52 needs to be started to drive the drive key rod 53 to rotate clockwise to ensure that the third gear 57 and the fourth gear 59 achieve slow gear engagement.) After successful engagement, the user can release the insertion rod 511 to insert it into the positioning hole 513 to position the lifting rod 510.

[0088] The second heating seat 10 is installed on the top of the placement rack 1, the treatment tank 11 is installed inside the second heating seat 10, the cover plate 12 is installed on the top of the treatment tank 11 by bolt sealing, the bottom end of the treatment tank 11 is equipped with a screw conveyor 13, and the outlet end of the screw conveyor 13 is installed on the outer wall of the leaching tank 3.

[0089] The lifting mechanism 9 includes a positioning frame 91 and an electric cylinder 92. The positioning frame 91 is installed on the top of the cover plate 12, and the electric cylinder 92 is installed on the top of the positioning frame 91. A connecting frame 94 is fixedly provided at the output end of the electric cylinder 92. A lifting tube 93 is rotatably connected inside the connecting frame 94. A pointed cone 95 is fixedly provided at the bottom end of the lifting tube 93. One-way valves 96 are installed on both sides of the lifting tube 93 and above the pointed cone 95.

[0090] The top axis of the cover plate 12 and inside the positioning frame 91 is rotatably connected to a driven pulley 22, and the outer walls of the drive pulley 16 and the driven pulley 22 are fitted with belts 21.

[0091] Please see Figures 9 to 11 When the electric cylinder 92 is activated and the connecting frame 94 is lowered, it can drive the rotating lifting pipe 93 to move down in a synchronized manner. This can control the cone 95 to descend and penetrate into the ore particles inside the processing tank 11. At this time, the argon gas passing through the lifting pipe 93 will be injected into the processing tank 11 through the one-way valves 96 on both sides.

[0092] The upper and lower ends of the lifting rod 510 extend into the interior of the second annular groove 58 and the first annular groove 55, respectively. The insertion rod 511 extends into the interior of the positioning hole 513. The top end of the driving key rod 53 extends into the interior of the third gear plate 57 and does not contact the fourth gear plate 59. The two ends of the return spring 512 are fixedly connected to the insertion rod 511 and the side plate 15. The driven pulley 22 and the lifting tube 93 are connected by a keyway, and the lifting tube 93 can slide up and down along the vertical direction of the driven pulley 22.

[0093] Understandable: From Figure 9 and Figure 10 As can be seen, since the bottom of the lifting pipe 93 is rotatably connected to the connecting frame 94, it can be ensured that the lifting pipe 93 will not be affected by the lifting and lowering when it is rotating. Secondly, the second branch pipe 87 will also not interfere with the rotating lifting pipe 93.

[0094] This embodiment

[0095] This design includes a first gear 54 and a third gear 57 that can switch between up and down states. By sliding the lifting rod 510, the second gear 56 and the fourth gear 59 can rotate independently, thus enabling free switching between the two functions.

[0096] When switching to the fourth gear plate 59 to rotate, the driven pulley 22 will drive the lifting tube 93 to rotate. The lifting tube 93 can also move up and down during rotation. Compared with the traditional design, the lifting tube 93 is inserted into the lithium ore particles inside the processing tank 11. Argon gas is injected from inside the particles, and the lifting tube 93 can also be raised and lowered to inject argon gas from different positions.

[0097] Compared with the traditional high-temperature roasting process, the use of low-temperature plasma pretreatment and bioleaching technology greatly reduces the energy consumption in the lithium extraction process. The low-temperature plasma treatment is carried out at relatively low temperature and pressure, and the bioleaching process can occur at room temperature and pressure, which reduces energy consumption and equipment operating costs. At the same time, it can also ensure that the atmosphere and particles are in full contact, and the reaction effect can reach the best.

[0098] Third embodiment:

[0099] Please see Figure 4 , Figure 12 and Figure 13 It also includes a switching mechanism 8;

[0100] The switching mechanism 8 includes a switching seat 81, which is installed on the outer wall of the side plate 15 and located above the insertion rod 511. A slide rod 82 is slidably connected inside the switching seat 81. A first piston 83 and a second piston 84 are fixed on the outer wall of the slide rod 82. An inlet pipe 85, a first branch pipe 86, and a second branch pipe 87 are installed on both sides of the switching seat 81.

[0101] Please see Figure 12 In the first embodiment, the first piston 83 blocks the second branch pipe 87, and the inlet pipe 85 and the first branch pipe 86 are connected. The argon gas entering from the inlet pipe 85 will enter the first branch pipe 86 through the switching seat 81, and can enter the interior of the leaching tank 3 through the first branch pipe 86.

[0102] In the second embodiment, when the lifting rod 510 is rising, it will drive the slide rod 82 to control the rise. At this time, the first piston 83 rises to open the second branch pipe 87, and the second piston 84 rises to block the first branch pipe 86. The argon gas inside the switching seat 81 will enter the lifting pipe 93 through the second branch pipe 87.

[0103] The outer walls of the first piston 83 and the second piston 84 are tightly fitted with the inner wall of the switching seat 81. The top end of the slide rod 82 is fixedly connected to the outer wall of the lifting rod 510. The outlet end of the second branch pipe 87 is sealed to the top end of the lifting pipe 93 through a rotary joint. The bottom end of the first branch pipe 86 penetrates the interior of the top plate 4. The second branch pipe 87 and the first branch pipe 86 are located above and below the inlet pipe 85, respectively.

[0104] Understandably: the outside of the inlet pipe 85 can be installed with an argon gas cylinder to ensure that there is enough argon gas available;

[0105] Secondly, the outer walls of the first piston 83 and the second piston 84 can be fitted with sealing rings to the inner wall of the switching seat 81, which can ensure high-efficiency sealing.

[0106] This embodiment

[0107] During the operation of the first embodiment, the second branch pipe 87 is blocked and the first branch pipe 86 is opened. The argon gas in the switching seat 81 enters the leaching tank 3 through the first branch pipe 86. The argon gas forms an inert gas protection for the inside of the leaching tank 3. On the one hand, it can form an atmosphere protection to ensure better safety, especially for reactions with long time periods. On the other hand, it can ensure the activity of the bacterial solution and avoid excessive oxidation of the bacterial solution, which would reduce its activity.

[0108] During the switching process of the first embodiment, the first piston 83 and the second piston 84 can rise in conjunction with the upward movement of the lifting rod 510, automatically blocking the first branch pipe 86 and automatically opening the second branch pipe 87. At this time, argon gas will enter the processing tank 11 through the second branch pipe 87 to perform atmosphere treatment on the lithium ore particles.

[0109] Working principle of lithium extraction equipment and its efficient lithium extraction process:

[0110] S1; Ore pretreatment;

[0111] The spodumene ore is crushed to a particle size of less than 2 mm, and then subjected to low-temperature plasma treatment technology. In a specific plasma atmosphere, the spodumene is placed in a plasma reaction chamber and treated at 25-60°C and normal pressure for 10-30 minutes. This treatment can change the crystal structure of spodumene and enhance the activity of lithium. This step needs to be completed in the treatment tank 11.

[0112] The user places ore particles into the processing tank 11, pulls the insertion rod 511 to separate it from the positioning hole 513, and then slides the lifting rod 510 upward along the vertical direction. During the sliding process, the bottom end of the lifting rod 510 affects the first annular groove 55 to control the separation of the first toothed disc 54 and the second toothed disc 56, and the top end of the lifting rod 510 affects the second annular groove 58 to control the third toothed disc 57 to move upward and engage with the fourth toothed disc 59. After successful engagement, the user releases the insertion rod 511 to insert it into the positioning hole 513 to position the lifting rod 510. After the third toothed disc 57 and the fourth toothed disc 59 are engaged, when the drive key rod 53 rotates, it will only affect the rotation of the fourth toothed disc 59 and will not drive the rotation of the second toothed disc 56. When the fourth toothed disc 59 rotates, it drives the drive pulley 16 and the transmission belt 21 to control the rotation of the driven pulley 22.

[0113] During the upward movement of the lifting rod 510, it will drive the sliding rod 82 to control the upward movement. At this time, the first piston 83 rises to open the second branch pipe 87, and the second piston 84 rises to block the first branch pipe 86. The argon gas inside the switching seat 81 will enter the lifting pipe 93 through the second branch pipe 87.

[0114] When the electric cylinder 92 controls the connecting frame 94 to descend, it can drive the rotating lifting tube 93 to descend synchronously. It can control the cone 95 to descend and penetrate into the ore particles inside the processing tank 11. At this time, the argon gas inside the lifting tube 93 will be injected into the processing tank 11 through the one-way valves 96 on both sides. During the operation, the user can control the temperature inside the processing tank 11 through the second heating seat 10.

[0115] S2; bioleaching;

[0116] Pretreated spodumene is added to a leachate containing special acidophilic microorganisms. These microorganisms are selected from acidic soils rich in lithium ore and can secrete special enzymes and organic acids in an acidic environment to react chemically with spodumene. The pH of the leachate is controlled at 2-3, the temperature is maintained at 20-40℃, and the leaching time is 3-7 days. During the bioleaching process, the organic acids secreted by the microorganisms undergo a complexation reaction with the lithium in the spodumene, dissolving the lithium from the ore and allowing it to enter the leachate for lithium extraction. This step needs to be completed in leaching tank 3.

[0117] After argon treatment, the lithium ore particles are conveyed to the interior of the leaching tank 3 via screw conveyor 13. Then, the user needs to control the lifting rod 510 to engage the first toothed disc 54 and the second toothed disc 56. The counterclockwise rotating second toothed disc 56 will rotate and control the turntable 17 and the stirring rod 20 to rotate counterclockwise. When the turntable 17 rotates counterclockwise, it will drive the protrusion 18 to rotate counterclockwise. When the protrusion 18 rotates to the position of the first guide wheel 65, the first guide wheel 65 will drive the first sliding key rod 64 to rise along the vertical direction of the first limiting plate 63 along the shape of the protrusion 18. During the rise of the first sliding key rod 64, it can drive the first sealing plate 66 to rise and separate from the main pipe 62. After separation, the main pipe 62 is connected to the liquid inlet pipe 61. At this time, the bacterial solution inside the main pipe 62 is injected into the leaching tank 3 through the liquid inlet pipe 61 to achieve biological treatment. During the treatment, the user can control the temperature of the leaching tank 3 through the first heating seat 2.

[0118] Leachate purification;

[0119] The leachate after bioleaching contains various impurity ions, such as silicon, iron, aluminum, magnesium, and calcium. First, an appropriate amount of hydrogen peroxide is added to the leachate to oxidize the low-valence iron ions to a higher valence state. Then, the pH of the leachate is adjusted to 5-6, causing impurities such as iron and aluminum ions to precipitate as hydroxides. The precipitate is removed by filtration, resulting in a pre-purified leachate. Next, an ion exchange resin method is used to further remove trace impurities such as calcium and magnesium ions. An ion exchange resin with high selectivity for calcium and magnesium ions is selected. The leachate is passed through an ion exchange column, allowing calcium and magnesium ions to exchange with the exchange groups on the resin, thereby achieving the removal of calcium and magnesium ions.

[0120] S4: Enrichment and extraction of lithium;

[0121] The purified leachate is enriched with lithium using electrodialysis. The leachate is placed in an electrodialysis device, and under the action of a DC electric field, lithium ions migrate through the cation exchange membrane to the cathode chamber, while other anions migrate to the anode chamber. By controlling the operating parameters of electrodialysis, such as voltage, current density, and flow rate, lithium ions are enriched in the cathode chamber. When the lithium ion concentration in the cathode chamber reaches a certain level, lithium is further purified by organic solvent extraction. A highly selective extractant for lithium ions, such as a mixture of tributyl phosphate (TBP) and kerosene, is selected to extract the enriched lithium ions from the aqueous phase to the organic phase. Then, through acid back-extraction, the lithium ions in the organic phase are transferred to the aqueous phase to obtain a high-purity lithium-containing solution.

[0122] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and does not limit the patent scope of the present invention. All equivalent structural transformations made under the concept of the present invention using the contents of the present invention specification and drawings, or direct / indirect applications in other related technical fields, are included within the patent protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A lithium extraction apparatus, characterized in that, The device comprises a rack, a first warming seat, a leaching tank, a top plate, a driving mechanism, a liquid inlet mechanism and an exhaust mechanism. The outer wall of the leaching tank is mounted on the inner wall of the first warming seat, the top plate is mounted on the top of the leaching tank by bolt sealing, and the bottom end of the leaching tank is provided with a discharge pipe. The driving mechanism comprises a mounting frame, a double-head motor and a driving key rod, the mounting frame is mounted on the middle position of the top plate, the double-head motor is mounted on the middle position of the inner part of the mounting frame, the driving key rod is mounted in the inner part of the double-head motor, the bottom key groove of the driving key rod is connected with a first tooth disc, the inner part of the first tooth disc is provided with a first ring groove, and the bottom of the first tooth disc is connected with a second tooth disc. The bottom end shaft key groove of the second tooth disc is connected with a rotating disc, the bottom end shaft key groove of the rotating disc is connected with a stirring rod, the inner part of the rotating disc is slidably connected with a protrusion, and the outer wall of the protrusion and the inner part of the rotating disc are fixedly provided with a sliding rod. The liquid inlet mechanism comprises a liquid inlet pipe, a main pipe and a first limiting plate, the liquid inlet pipe is fixedly arranged in the inner part of the top plate, the main pipe is fixedly arranged on the outer wall of the liquid inlet pipe, and the first limiting plate is fixedly arranged on the inner wall of the main pipe and below the port of the liquid inlet pipe. When the protrusion rotates to the position of the first guide wheel, the first guide wheel drives the first sliding key rod to rise along the vertical direction of the first limiting plate along the shape of the protrusion, the first sliding key rod drives the first sealing plate to rise in the rising process and the main pipe is separated, the main pipe and the liquid inlet pipe are communicated after being separated, at this time, the bacteria liquid in the inner part of the main pipe is injected into the inner part of the leaching tank through the liquid inlet pipe. The exhaust mechanism comprises an exhaust pipe, an exhaust pipe and a second limiting plate, the exhaust pipe is fixedly arranged in the inner part of the top plate and away from one side of the liquid inlet pipe, the exhaust pipe is fixedly arranged on the outer wall of the exhaust pipe, and the second limiting plate is fixedly arranged on the inner wall of the exhaust pipe and below the port of the exhaust pipe.

2. The lithium extraction apparatus of claim 1, wherein, The bottom of the driving key rod penetrates the inner part of the first tooth disc and does not contact the second tooth disc, the connection between the bottom end of the second tooth disc and the top end of the stirring rod is rotatably connected to the top plate through a bearing, the sliding rod is slidably connected between the rotating disc, and the cross section of the sliding rod is in T-shaped structure.

3. The lithium extraction apparatus of claim 1, wherein, The bottom of the liquid inlet pipe and the exhaust pipe penetrates the inner part of the top plate, the first guide wheel and the second guide wheel are mutually attached to the upper surface of the rotating disc and are located in the same horizontal direction, and the distance between the first guide wheel and the rotating disc is less than the distance between the second guide wheel and the rotating disc.

4. The lithium extraction apparatus of claim 1, wherein, The cross sections of the first sealing plate and the second sealing plate are both in conical structure, and the first sealing plate and the second sealing plate are respectively sealed and closed to the main pipe and the exhaust pipe.

5. The lithium extraction apparatus of claim 1, wherein, It also comprises a second warming seat, a treatment tank, a cover plate, a spiral conveyor and a lifting mechanism. The outer wall of the mounting frame and outside the double-head motor is provided with a side plate, the inside of the side plate is slidably connected with a U-shaped lifting rod, the outer wall of the side plate is slidably connected with a plug rod, the outer wall of the plug rod is sleeved with a reset spring, the inside of the lifting rod is provided with two positioning holes, the top end key groove of the driving key rod is connected with a third tooth disc, the inside of the third tooth disc is provided with a second ring groove, the top of the mounting frame is rotatably connected with a fourth tooth disc, and the top end key groove of the fourth tooth disc is connected with a driving belt pulley; The second warming seat is installed on the top of the placing rack, the processing tank is installed in the second warming seat, the cover plate is sealed and installed on the top of the processing tank by bolts, the bottom end of the processing tank is provided with a screw conveyor, and the outlet end of the screw conveyor is installed on the outer wall of the leaching tank; The lifting mechanism comprises a positioning frame and an electric cylinder, the positioning frame is installed on the top of the cover plate, the electric cylinder is installed on the top of the positioning frame, the output end of the electric cylinder is fixedly provided with a connecting frame, the inside of the connecting frame is rotatably connected with a lifting pipe, the bottom end of the lifting pipe is fixedly provided with a sharp cone, and the two sides of the lifting pipe and above the sharp cone are provided with one-way valves; The top end shaft of the cover plate and inside the positioning frame is rotatably connected with a driven belt pulley, and the outer walls of the driving belt pulley and the driven belt pulley are sleeved with a belt.

6. The lithium extraction apparatus of claim 5, wherein, The upper and lower ends of the lifting rod extend into the second ring groove and the first ring groove respectively, the plug rod extends into the positioning hole, the top end of the driving key rod extends into the third tooth disc and does not contact the fourth tooth disc, the two ends of the reset spring are fixedly connected with the plug rod and the side plate, the driven belt pulley and the lifting pipe are in key groove connection, and the lifting pipe slides up and down along the vertical direction of the driven belt pulley.

7. The lithium extraction apparatus of claim 5, wherein, It also comprises a switching mechanism; The switching mechanism comprises a switching seat, the switching seat is installed on the outer wall of the side plate and above the plug rod, the inside of the switching seat is slidably connected with a sliding rod, the outer wall of the sliding rod is fixedly provided with a first piston and a second piston, and the two sides of the switching seat are provided with an inlet pipe, a first branch pipe and a second branch pipe.

8. The lithium extraction apparatus of claim 7, wherein, The outer wall of the first piston and the second piston is tightly attached to the inner wall of the switching seat, the top end of the sliding rod is fixedly connected with the outer wall of the lifting rod, the outlet end of the second branch pipe is sealed and installed on the top end of the lifting pipe through a rotary joint, the bottom end of the first branch pipe penetrates into the inside of the top plate, and the second branch pipe and the first branch pipe are located above and below the inlet pipe respectively.

9. A process for efficient extraction of lithium characterized in that, The high-efficiency lithium extraction process adopts the lithium extraction equipment according to any one of claims 1-8, comprising the following steps: S1: ore pretreatment; The spodumene ore is crushed to a particle size of less than 2 mm, and then a low-temperature plasma treatment technology is used, the spodumene is placed in the plasma reaction cavity in the plasma atmosphere, and the spodumene is treated at 25-60 DEG C under normal pressure for 10-30 minutes, which can change the crystal structure of the spodumene and enhance the activity of lithium elements, and this step needs to be completed in the processing tank; S2: bioleaching; The pretreated spodumene is added into a leaching solution containing special acidophilic microorganisms which are screened from acid soil rich in lithium ore and can secrete special enzymes and organic acids in an acid environment to react with spodumene; the pH value of the leaching solution is controlled at 2-3, the temperature is kept at 20-40 DEG C, and the leaching time is 3-7 days; in the biological leaching process, the organic acid secreted by the microorganisms reacts with lithium in spodumene to dissolve lithium from the ore into the leaching solution to realize leaching and extraction of lithium; this step needs to be completed in a leaching tank; S3: purification of the leaching solution; The leaching solution after biological leaching contains various impurity ions; first, appropriate hydrogen peroxide is added into the leaching solution to oxidize low-valence iron ions into high-valence iron ions, then the pH value of the leaching solution is adjusted to 5-6 to make iron ions and aluminum ions precipitate in the form of hydroxides, the precipitate is removed by filtration to obtain a preliminarily purified leaching solution, then ion exchange resin method is used to further remove trace impurities of calcium and magnesium ions in the leaching solution; ion exchange resin with high selectivity to calcium and magnesium ions is selected, the leaching solution is passed through the ion exchange column to make calcium and magnesium ions exchange with exchange groups on the resin, thereby removing the calcium and magnesium ions; S4: enrichment and extraction of lithium; The purified leaching solution is subjected to lithium enrichment by electrodialysis technology; under the action of a direct current electric field, lithium ions migrate to the cathode chamber through cation exchange membrane, while other anions migrate to the anode chamber; by controlling the operation parameters of electrodialysis, lithium ions are enriched in the cathode chamber; when the lithium ion concentration in the cathode chamber reaches a certain degree, organic solvent extraction method is used to further purify lithium; an extractant with high selectivity to lithium ions is selected, lithium ions after enrichment are extracted from the aqueous phase into the organic phase, then through acid back extraction, lithium ions in the organic phase are transferred to the aqueous phase to obtain a high-purity lithium-containing solution.

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