Metal lithium electrolysis system for continuous automatic production

Abstract

The invention discloses a lithium metal electrolysis system for continuous automatic production, and belongs to the technical field of lithium metal production, the lithium metal electrolysis system comprises an electrolysis device, a filtering device and a melting device, the electrolysis device overflows electrolyzed lithium metal and molten salt from the top to the filtering device, the filtering device filters and separates the lithium metal and the molten salt, and the melting device is used for melting the lithium metal and the molten salt. And the filtered molten salt flows into the melting device, is molten again through the melting device and is conveyed into the electrolysis device, so that the circulation of the raw materials is completed. According to the system composed of the electrolysis device, the filtering device and the melting device, manual lithium scooping can be replaced, industrial automatic production is achieved, energy consumption is effectively reduced, the risk of crystallization caused by unbalanced proportion of mixed salt due to excessive electrolysis is avoided, the contact time of the mixed salt floating on the surface of molten salt and chlorine is shortened, re-reaction is reduced, and the electrolysis efficiency is improved.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The application belongs to the technical field of metal lithium production, and particularly relates to a continuous and automatic metal lithium electrolysis system. BACKGROUND

[0002] The existing metal lithium production process is that LiCl-KCl molten salt is electrolyzed at 400-500 DEG C, metal Li is produced at the negative electrode, Cl2 gas is produced at the positive electrode, and the generated metal Li floats on the surface of the molten salt. At present, the industrial production is realized only by manually scooping out the metal Li.

[0003] The molten metal Li is active and will react violently with oxygen, nitrogen and water vapor in the air. The manual scooping process is a high-risk operation, and the process will be in contact with the air, resulting in low product quality. The intermittent operation limits the industrial scale. Therefore, the application provides a continuous and automatic metal lithium electrolysis system. SUMMARY

[0004] In order to solve the above problems, the purpose of the application is to provide a continuous and automatic metal lithium electrolysis system.

[0005] In order to achieve the above purpose, the application provides a continuous and automatic metal lithium electrolysis system, which comprises an electrolysis device, a filtering device and a melting device. The electrolysis device overflows the electrolyzed metal lithium and molten salt from the top to the filtering device. The filtering device filters and separates the metal lithium and the molten salt. The filtered molten salt flows into the melting device. The melting device melts the molten salt again and delivers it to the electrolysis device, completing the circulation of raw materials.

[0006] Preferably, the electrolysis device comprises an electrolysis tank, a plurality of positive electrodes and a plurality of negative electrodes are arranged in the electrolysis tank, an exhaust port is arranged on the top right side of the electrolysis tank and communicates with the electrolysis tank, an air inlet is arranged on the top left side of the electrolysis tank and communicates with the electrolysis tank, a discharge port is arranged on the left side of the electrolysis tank and communicates with the electrolysis tank, and a feeding port is arranged on the bottom of the electrolysis tank and communicates with the electrolysis tank.

[0007] Preferably, the filtering device comprises a filtering barrel communicating with the electrolysis tank, a filtering plate is arranged in the filtering barrel, a recovery pipe is arranged on one side of the filtering barrel and communicates with the filtering barrel, and a recovery tank is arranged at the bottom of the recovery pipe.

[0008] Preferably, the melting device comprises a molten salt tank communicating with the filtering barrel, a feeding pipe is arranged on the top of the molten salt tank and communicates with the molten salt tank, a feeder is fixedly connected to the top of the feeding pipe, a weighing feeder cylinder is fixedly connected to the top of the feeder, a molten salt pump is arranged on the top of the molten salt tank, and a plurality of electric heating rods are arranged in the molten salt tank.

[0009] Preferably, the outlet of the molten salt pump is fixedly connected with a return pipe, and the end of the return pipe away from the molten salt pump is fixedly connected with the inlet.

[0010] Preferably, the bottom of the filter barrel is fixedly connected with an inlet pipe, and the inlet pipe is inserted into the inside of the molten salt tank.

[0011] Preferably, the outlet is fixedly connected with an outlet pipe, and the end of the outlet pipe away from the outlet is fixedly connected with the filter barrel.

[0012] Preferably, the gas inlet is used for conveying argon, the gas outlet is used for conveying chlorine, the gas inlet is connected with argon and the flow is controlled through an adjusting valve, the gas outlet is provided with a chlorine concentration detection sensor for detecting the chlorine concentration and feedback adjusting according to the chlorine concentration, and the outlet is used for overflow of the metal lithium and the molten salt.

[0013] Preferably, 4-12 electric heating rods are arranged in the inside of the molten salt tank, the top of the molten salt tank is provided with a breather valve, the inside of the molten salt tank is provided with a temperature monitoring device, and the electric heating rods are adjusted according to the tank temperature feedback.

[0014] The continuous automatic production metal lithium electrolysis system provided by the application can bring the following beneficial effects:

[0015] 1. Through the full-automatic feeding-electrolysis-lithium outlet process, the manual operation is replaced, the safety is higher, and the continuous production can be realized, so that the production efficiency is greatly improved.

[0016] 2. Compared with the present intermittent feeding of manual operation, the continuous automatic LiCl supplementing can maintain the lithium ion concentration unchanged, significantly reduce the electrode effect and the tank overheating temperature, effectively save the energy consumption, and avoid the risk of salt proportion imbalance crystallization caused by excessive electrolysis;

[0017] 3. The electrolysis tank is completely sealed, can extract negative pressure, and is isolated from air and supplemented with argon, so that the side reaction of metal lithium and air is reduced;

[0018] 4. The molten salt of the electrolysis tank is fed from the bottom and discharged from the top, and the chlorine gas rising direction is the same as the direction of the molten salt, so that the circulation in the tank is strengthened, and the ion and heat balance in the tank are beneficial;

[0019] 5. The metal lithium is continuously discharged, the contact time of the metal lithium floating on the surface of the molten salt with the chlorine gas is reduced, the re-reaction is reduced, and the electrolysis efficiency is improved.

[0020] In summary, the scheme has simple structure and novel design, and through the system composed of the electrolysis device, the filtering device and the melting device, the manual lithium scooping can be replaced to realize the industrial automatic production, the energy consumption is effectively saved, the risk of salt proportion imbalance crystallization caused by excessive electrolysis is avoided, the contact time of the metal lithium floating on the surface of the molten salt with the chlorine gas is reduced, the re-reaction is reduced, and the electrolysis efficiency is improved. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0021] Figure 1 The flow structure diagram of the present application is shown.

[0022] In the figure: 1 electrolytic device, 101 electrolytic cell, 102 positive electrode, 103 negative electrode, 104 exhaust port, 105 air inlet, 106 discharge port, 107 feeding port, 2 filtering device, 201 filtering barrel, 202 filtering plate, 203 recovery pipe, 204 recovery tank, 3 melting device, 301 molten salt tank, 302 feeding pipe, 303 feeder, 304 weighing feeder cylinder, 305 molten salt pump, 306 electric heating rod, 4 recovery pipe, 5 discharge pipe, 6 feeding pipe. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] In order to more clearly illustrate the overall concept of the present application, the following will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0024] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "upper", "lower", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" and the like indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and are only for the purpose of facilitating the description of the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation of the present application.

[0025] In addition, the terms "first", "second" are only for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, the features defined with "first", "second" can explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of the present application, the meaning of "multiple" is two or more, unless otherwise specifically limited.

[0026] In the present application, unless otherwise specifically defined and limited, the terms "mounting", "connection", "connection", "fixing" and the like should be broadly understood, for example, it can be fixedly connected, or it can be detachably connected, or it can be integrated; it can be mechanically connected, or it can be electrically connected, or it can be communicated; it can be directly connected, or it can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium; it can be the internal communication of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in the present application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0027] As Figure 1As shown, the embodiment of the present application proposes a continuous automatic production of metal lithium electrolysis system, including electrolysis device 1, filter device 2 and melting device 3, electrolysis device 1 will be electrolyzed after the metal lithium and molten salt from the top overflow to filter device 2, and filter device 2 separates the metal lithium and molten salt, and the filtered molten salt flows into the melting device 3, and the molten salt is melted again by the melting device 3 and delivered to the electrolysis device 1, completing the cycle of raw materials.

[0028] As shown, Figure 1 The electrolysis device 1 includes an electrolytic tank 101, the inside of the electrolytic tank 101 is provided with a plurality of positive electrodes 102 and a plurality of negative electrodes 103, the top right side of the electrolytic tank 101 is provided with an exhaust port 104 communicated therewith, the top left side of the electrolytic tank 101 is provided with an air inlet port 105 communicated therewith, the left side of the electrolytic tank 101 is provided with a discharge port 106 communicated therewith, and the bottom of the electrolytic tank 101 is provided with a feed port 107 communicated therewith. The electrolytic tank 101 electrolyzes the molten salt, and during electrolysis, argon is introduced for protection, and the chlorine gas generated by electrolysis is discharged through the exhaust port 104. The molten salt raw material required for electrolysis is fed from the feed port 107, and the metal lithium and molten salt after electrolysis overflow from the discharge port 106.

[0029] As shown, Figure 1 The filter device 2 includes a filter barrel 201 communicated with the electrolytic tank 101, the inside of the filter barrel 201 is provided with a filter plate 202, one side of the filter barrel 201 is provided with a recovery pipe 203 communicated therewith, the bottom of the recovery pipe 203 is provided with a recovery tank 204, the metal lithium and molten salt after electrolysis overflow from the discharge port 106, and flow into the filter barrel 201 through the discharge pipe 5. After being filtered by the filter plate 202 arranged in the filter barrel 201, the metal lithium enters the recovery tank 204 through the recovery pipe 203, and the molten salt is filtered out.

[0030] As shown, Figure 1 The melting device 3 includes a molten salt tank 301 communicated with the filter barrel 201, the top of the molten salt tank 301 is provided with a feeding pipe 302 communicated therewith, the top of the feeding pipe 302 is fixedly connected with a feeder 303, the top of the feeder 303 is fixedly connected with a weighing feeder cylinder 304, the top of the molten salt tank 301 is provided with a molten salt pump 305, and a plurality of electric heating rods 306 are arranged in the inside of the molten salt tank 301. The filtered molten salt flows into the molten salt tank 301 through the feeding pipe 6, and is heated and melted by the electric heating rods 306 in the molten salt tank 301. The lithium chloride powder is weighed in the weighing feeder cylinder 304, and then falls into the molten salt tank 301 through the feeder 303. Finally, the molten salt pump 305 sends the molten molten salt into the electrolytic tank 101 through the return pipe 4.

[0031] As shown, Figure 1As shown, the outlet of the molten salt pump 305 is fixedly connected with a return pipe 4, and the end of the return pipe 4 away from the molten salt pump 305 is fixedly connected with the inlet 107, and the molten salt pump 305 transports the molten salt through the return pipe 4.

[0032] As shown in the drawings, Figure 1 As shown, the bottom of the filter barrel 201 is fixedly connected with an inlet pipe 6, and the inlet pipe 6 is inserted into the inside of the molten salt tank 301, and the filtered molten salt in the filter barrel 201 flows back into the molten salt tank 301 through the inlet pipe 6.

[0033] As shown in the drawings, Figure 1 As shown, the outlet pipe 5 is fixedly connected with the outlet 106, and the end of the outlet pipe 5 away from the outlet 106 is fixedly connected with the filter barrel 201, and the metal lithium and the molten salt in the electrolytic tank 101 flow into the filter barrel 201 through the outlet pipe 5.

[0034] As shown in the drawings, Figure 1 As shown, the gas inlet 105 is used to transport argon, the gas outlet 104 is used to transport chlorine, the gas inlet 105 is connected with argon and the flow is controlled by the adjusting valve, the gas outlet 104 is provided with a chlorine concentration detection sensor for detecting the chlorine concentration, and the chlorine concentration is fed back and adjusted, and the outlet 106 is used for overflow of the metal lithium and the molten salt.

[0035] As shown in the drawings, Figure 1 As shown, the electric heating rod 306 in the inside of the molten salt tank 301 is provided with 4-12, the top of the molten salt tank 301 is provided with a breather valve, the inside of the molten salt tank 301 is provided with a temperature monitoring device, and the electric heating rod 306 is adjusted according to the tank temperature feedback.

[0036] Working principle: in the production of metal lithium, the electrolytic cell 101 is used for electrolysis of molten salt, the square array of positive electrode 102 and negative electrode 103 is used in the electrolytic cell 101, the square positive and negative electrode plate has high space utilization rate, can be combined in multiple groups, realizes single tank large current production, and in the electrolysis, argon is introduced for protection, the replacement of supplementary argon can effectively reduce the chlorine concentration and reduce the re-reaction, and the chlorine produced by electrolysis is discharged through the exhaust port 104, the molten salt raw material required for electrolysis is sent into from the feed port 107, and the molten salt is automatically fed through the bottom, compared with the existing artificial top powder addition, it is more suitable for automatic continuous production, and the metal lithium and molten salt after electrolysis overflow from the discharge port 106, and flow into the filter barrel 201 through the discharge pipe 5, the molten salt is fed from the bottom and discharged from the top, which is the same as the chlorine gas discharge mode, strengthens the separation time of chlorine gas and metal lithium, reduces the re-reaction, is beneficial to the balance of temperature and metal ion concentration, reduces the concentration polarization, improves the current efficiency, realizes the large current scheme, after filtering by the filter plate 202 arranged in the filter barrel 201, the metal lithium enters the recovery tank 204 through the recovery pipe 203, and the molten salt is filtered down, realizing the separation of metal lithium and molten salt, so manual scooping is not required, the filtered molten salt flows into the molten salt tank 301 through the feed pipe 6, the molten salt inlet and outlet are below the liquid level, and the liquid level above is isolated from water by a small amount of compressed air, which solves the problem that the lithium chloride powder on the wall of the feeding pipe is absorbed by moisture due to the negative pressure suction of water in the air during the continuous feeding of the electrolytic cell 101, causes inaccurate weighing, and causes the risk of tank explosion, realizes the function of continuous automatic feeding, the molten salt in the molten salt tank 301 is heated and melted by the electric heating rod 306, and the lithium chloride powder in the weighing feeding cylinder 304 is weighed and then falls into the molten salt tank 301 through the feeder 303, the molten salt tank 301 is fed, compared with the existing direct addition to the electrolytic cell 101, it is not necessary to open the electrolytic cell 101 to avoid affecting the metal lithium side reaction, the molten salt enters the electrolytic cell 101 in the form of molten salt to avoid concentration fluctuation, and continuous feeding can maintain ion balance in the tank and improve current efficiency, finally, the molten salt pump 305 sends the molten molten salt into the electrolytic cell 101 through the return pipe 4, so as to realize the recycling of raw materials, through the system composed of the electrolysis device 1, the filtering device 2 and the melting device 3, the whole system replaces the existing manual operation, has higher safety, and can realize continuous production, greatly improving the production efficiency; compared with the existing intermittent manual feeding, the continuous automatic feeding of LiCl maintains the same lithium ion concentration, significantly reduces the polarization effect and tank overheating temperature, effectively saves energy, avoids excessive electrolysis, and avoids the risk of salt crystallization caused by imbalance of mixed salt ratio; the electrolytic cell is completely sealed, can be pumped to negative pressure and isolated from air, and can supplement argon, reducing the side reaction of metal lithium and air; the molten salt in the electrolytic cell is fed from the bottom and discharged from the top, and the chlorine gas rises in the same direction, which strengthens the circulation in the tank and is beneficial to the ion and heat balance in the tank; the metal lithium is continuously discharged, reducing the contact time of the metal lithium floating on the surface of the molten salt with the chlorine gas, reducing the re-reaction and improving the electrolysis efficiency.

[0037] The above description is only the preferred embodiment of the application, not intended to limit the application. Any modification, equivalent replacement and improvement made within the spirit and principle of the application shall fall within the scope of the claims of the application.

Claims

1. A continuously automated production of a metal lithium electrolysis system, characterized by, Including electrolytic device (1), filter device (2) and melting device (3), electrolytic device (1) overflow from top electrolysis metal lithium and fused salt to filter device (2), and filter device (2) is filtered to metal lithium and fused salt separation, and filtered fused salt flows into melting device (3), and by melting device (3) again melt fused salt and deliver to electrolytic device (1), complete raw material circulation.

2. The continuously automated production of metal lithium electrolysis system according to claim 1, wherein, The electrolytic device (1) includes an electrolytic cell (101), a plurality of positive electrodes (102) and a plurality of negative electrodes (103) are arranged in the electrolytic cell (101), a gas outlet (104) is arranged on the top right side of the electrolytic cell (101) and communicates with the electrolytic cell (101), a gas inlet (105) is arranged on the top left side of the electrolytic cell (101) and communicates with the electrolytic cell (101), a discharge outlet (106) is arranged on the left side of the electrolytic cell (101) and communicates with the electrolytic cell (101), and a feeding inlet (107) is arranged on the bottom of the electrolytic cell (101) and communicates with the electrolytic cell (101).

3. The continuously automated production of a lithium metal electrolysis system of claim 2, wherein, The filter device (2) includes a filter barrel (201) communicating with the electrolytic cell (101), a filter plate (202) is arranged in the filter barrel (201), and a recovery pipe (203) is arranged on one side of the filter barrel (201) and communicates with the filter barrel (201).

4. The continuously automated production of a lithium metal electrolysis system of claim 3, wherein, The melting device (3) includes a fused salt tank (301) communicating with the filter barrel (201), a feeding pipe (302) is arranged on the top of the fused salt tank (301) and communicates with the fused salt tank (301), a feeder (303) is fixedly connected to the top of the feeding pipe (302), a weighing feeder cylinder (304) is fixedly connected to the top of the feeder (303), a fused salt pump (305) is arranged on the top of the fused salt tank (301), and a plurality of electric heating rods (306) are arranged in the fused salt tank (301).

5. The continuously automated production of a lithium metal electrolysis system of claim 4, wherein, The outlet of the fused salt pump (305) is fixedly connected with a back feeding pipe (4), and the end, away from the fused salt pump (305), of the back feeding pipe (4) is fixedly connected with the feeding inlet (107).

6. The continuously automated production of a lithium metal electrolysis system of claim 4, wherein, The bottom of the filter barrel (201) is fixedly connected with a feeding pipe (6), and the feeding pipe (6) is inserted into the inside of the fused salt tank (301).

7. The continuously automated production of a lithium metal electrolysis system of claim 3, wherein, A discharge pipe (5) is fixedly connected to the discharge outlet (106), and the end, away from the discharge outlet (106), of the discharge pipe (5) is fixedly connected with the filter barrel (201).

8. The continuously automated production of metal lithium electrolysis system according to claim 2, wherein, The gas inlet (105) is used for conveying argon, the gas outlet (104) is used for conveying chlorine, the gas inlet (105) is connected with argon and controls the flow by an adjusting valve, a chlorine concentration detection sensor is arranged on the gas outlet (104) and is used for detecting the chlorine concentration, the chlorine concentration is fed back and adjusted, and the discharge outlet (106) is used for overflow of metal lithium and fused salt.

9. The continuously automated production of a lithium metal electrolysis system of claim 4, wherein, The electric heating rods (306) in the fused salt tank (301) are arranged in a number of 4-12, a breather valve is arranged on the top of the fused salt tank (301), a temperature monitoring device is arranged in the fused salt tank (301), and the electric heating rods (306) are adjusted according to the tank temperature feedback.

Images