Water-saving continuous lithium extraction system

Abstract

The application discloses a water-saving continuous lithium extraction system, which comprises a valve rotating continuous fluid separation device and a plurality of adsorption resin columns, and the outlet end of the valve rotating continuous fluid separation device is communicated with the inlet end of each adsorption resin column; around the rotating direction of the valve rotating continuous fluid separation device, the valve rotating continuous fluid separation device is sequentially connected with an adsorption unit, an emptying unit, a leaching unit, an elution unit and a water head unit; the outlet end of each resin adsorption column is further connected with a tail material collecting unit and a product collecting unit; firstly, lithium ions are adsorbed through the adsorption unit, then residual tail liquid in the adsorption resin column is exhausted through the emptying unit, then the adsorption resin is washed through leaching of a lithium-containing solution, then lithium is eluted through the elution unit, and finally, residual elution end point water is recovered through the water head unit, the recovered water head enters the next cycle leaching process again, and adsorption, emptying, leaching, elution and water head are alternately circulated in sequence, so that the combined high-efficiency lithium adsorbent is obtained, the product yield and production capacity are significantly improved, and the water consumption of the process is obviously reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of lithium refining equipment technology, specifically to a water-saving continuous lithium extraction system. Background Technology

[0002] Lithium is the core material for manufacturing high-performance lithium batteries. With the rapid development of the new energy vehicle industry, my country's demand for lithium has experienced explosive growth.

[0003] Adsorption is one of the most widely used and promising processes for lithium extraction from salt lakes. It relies on adsorbents with specific adsorption capabilities for lithium ions to separate them. The lithium ions are then eluted with an eluent to form a lithium ion solution, which is subsequently concentrated and used to produce lithium salts. Adsorption is not limited by brine grade, exhibits good selective adsorption of lithium ions, and offers advantages such as high recovery rate, simple process, environmental friendliness, recyclable adsorbents, and high product purity.

[0004] To achieve large-scale application of adsorption technology, multi-tower series scale-up is adopted in engineering. However, large-scale industrial use of fixed-bed multi-column series-parallel adsorption processes often suffers from low adsorption utilization, numerous valves, and complex operation. Subsequently, continuous ion exchange technology was developed, in which the resin column rotates periodically with the turntable. Continuous ion exchange moving bed technology has advantages such as fewer valves, simple operation, and high lithium extraction efficiency, giving it unique advantages in the fields of ion exchange and enrichment. However, the rotation of the resin column with the turntable limits the scale of industrial scale-up devices, and there are few reports on water-saving systems for continuous moving bed lithium extraction processes using adsorption. Utility Model Content

[0005] The main objective of this application is to provide a water-saving continuous lithium extraction system, which aims to solve the defects of high water consumption and low lithium extraction efficiency in the prior art.

[0006] This application achieves the above objectives through the following technical solutions:

[0007] A water-saving continuous lithium extraction system includes several adsorption resin columns;

[0008] A valve-rotating continuous fluid separator is provided, and around the rotation direction of the valve-rotating continuous fluid separator, the valve-rotating continuous fluid separator is sequentially connected to an adsorption unit, an emptying unit, a rinsing unit, a desorption unit, and a top water unit; the outlet end of the valve-rotating continuous fluid separator is connected to the inlet end of each of the adsorption resin columns.

[0009] The inlet end of the adsorption unit is connected to a raw material tank to control the flow of lithium-containing raw materials or brine through the adsorption resin column to complete lithium adsorption.

[0010] The evacuation unit is used to drain the residual adsorption tail liquid in the adsorption resin column;

[0011] The rinsing unit washes the adsorption resin column by pumping in a lithium-containing solution;

[0012] The analytical unit elutes lithium from the adsorption resin column by pumping in pure water.

[0013] The inlet end of the top water unit is connected to the raw material tank, and the outlet end of the top water unit is connected to the rinsing unit and the tail material collection unit respectively. The outlet end of the top water unit is also equipped with an online conductivity meter and several regulating valves for controlling the pipeline connection status.

[0014] The tail material collection unit is used to collect the adsorption tail liquid generated by the adsorption unit, the residual adsorption tail liquid discharged by the evacuation unit, and the rinsing liquid discharged by the rinsing unit.

[0015] The product collection unit is used to collect the analytical products generated by the analytical unit during elution.

[0016] Optionally, the adsorption resin column includes a shell filled with spherical adsorbent made of aluminum-based lithium adsorbent.

[0017] Optionally, the adsorption unit includes a feed pipe that connects the valve-type continuous fluid separator to the raw material tank; along the flow direction of the fluid, a filter and a delivery pump are sequentially installed on the feed pipe.

[0018] Optionally, the venting unit includes a venting pump, the inlet of which is connected to the adsorption resin column and the outlet of which is connected to the tailings collection unit; the valve-type continuous fluid separator is provided with an air inlet pipe connected to the adsorption resin column.

[0019] Optionally, the rinsing unit includes a rinsing pipe and a transfer tank; the inlet end of the transfer tank is connected to the product collection unit, and its outlet end is connected to the valve-type continuous fluid separator through the rinsing pipe, and a rinsing feed pump is installed on the rinsing pipe.

[0020] Optionally, the analysis unit includes a water supply pipe and a water pump, wherein the water supply pipe connects the valve-type continuous fluid separator to an external pure water source.

[0021] Optionally, the top water unit includes a top water pipe that connects the valve-rotating continuous fluid separator to the raw material tank.

[0022] Optionally, the top water unit also includes a discharge pipe, on which the online conductivity meter is installed. The outlet end of the discharge pipe is connected to the transfer tank and the tail material collection unit respectively through two parallel discharge branches. A regulating valve is provided on each of the two discharge branches.

[0023] Optionally, the tailings collection unit includes a tailings collection trough.

[0024] Optionally, the product collection unit includes a product collection trough.

[0025] Compared with the prior art, this application has the following beneficial effects:

[0026] This application includes a valve-rotating continuous fluid separator and a plurality of adsorption resin columns. The outlet end of the valve-rotating continuous fluid separator is connected to the inlet end of each of the adsorption resin columns. Around the rotation direction of the valve-rotating continuous fluid separator, the valve-rotating continuous fluid separator is sequentially provided with an adsorption unit, a discharge unit, a rinsing unit, a desorption unit, and a top water unit. The outlet end of each resin adsorption column is also connected to a tailings collection unit and a product collection unit.

[0027] In operation, the adsorption unit injects brine into a portion of the adsorption resin column via the valve-operated continuous fluid separation device. After adsorption is complete, the valve-operated continuous fluid separation device is rotated to switch the control pipeline, connecting the adsorbed resin column to the evacuation unit to discharge the adsorbed brine. The adsorption unit then re-injects brine into a portion of the adsorption resin column, and the pipeline is switched again to connect the evacuated adsorption resin column to the rinsing unit. In the rinsing unit, the adsorption resin column is washed with a lithium-containing solution. During the rinsing process, lithium ions in the lithium-containing solution are re-adsorbed by the adsorbent. The absorption and rinsing liquid, along with impurities, forms a tail liquid that enters the product collection unit. The resin adsorption column then enters the desorption unit, where lithium is eluted from the adsorbent using pure water. The lithium-eluted product enters the product collection unit. Finally, lithium-containing brine is injected back into the resin adsorption column through the top water unit. The lithium-containing brine discharges the residual desorption liquid from the resin adsorption column, and the discharged desorption liquid re-enters the rinsing unit for rinsing. The above process can be repeated through the circulation control of the valve-type continuous fluid separation device, thereby achieving continuous production of the equipment.

[0028] Compared with the prior art, this application extracts the residual liquid in the adsorption resin column through the evacuation unit, and washes the resin adsorption column by rinsing with lithium-containing solution. In the top water unit, lithium-containing brine pushes out the residual desorption liquid from the desorption unit again, and uses it as top water recovery water to be put back into the rinsing unit, realizing the secondary use of desorption water and reducing the water consumption of the equipment.

[0029] Secondly, this application achieves pipeline switching through a valve-type continuous fluid separation device, keeping the adsorption resin column in a fixed state. This not only helps reduce the operating energy consumption of the equipment but also increases the volume of the adsorption resin column, thereby improving the equipment's processing capacity and improving lithium extraction efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0030] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a water-saving continuous lithium extraction system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0031] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an adsorption resin column;

[0032] Reference numerals: 1-Adsorption resin column, 2-Valve-type continuous fluid separator, 3-Raw material tank, 4-Online conductivity meter, 5-Regulating valve, 6-Feeding pipe, 7-Filter, 8-Infusion pump, 9-Drain pump, 10-Air inlet pipe, 11-Scrubbing pipe, 12-Transfer tank, 13-Scrubbing feed pump, 14-Water pipe, 15-Water pump, 16-Top water pipe, 17-Discharge pipe, 18-Discharge branch, 19-Tail material collection tank, 20-Product collection tank, 101-Shell, 102-Adsorbent.

[0033] The purpose, features, and advantages of this application will be further explained in conjunction with the embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. Detailed Implementation

[0034] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present utility model, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of the present utility model.

[0035] It should be noted that all directional indicators (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.) in this utility model embodiment are only used to explain the relative positional relationship and movement of each component in a certain specific posture (as shown in the figure). If the specific posture changes, the directional indicator will also change accordingly.

[0036] In this utility model, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "connection," "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, "fixing" can mean a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; it can mean a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can mean a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; it can mean the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise explicitly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model according to the specific circumstances.

[0037] Furthermore, if the embodiments of this utility model involve descriptions such as "first" or "second," these descriptions are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of those features. Additionally, the meaning of "and / or" throughout the text includes three parallel solutions. Taking "robot coordinate system and / or m" as an example, it includes a robot coordinate system solution, an m solution, or a solution where both the robot coordinate system and m are satisfied simultaneously. Furthermore, the technical solutions of the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but this must be based on the ability of those skilled in the art to implement them. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or impossible to implement, it should be considered that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection claimed by this utility model.

[0038] Implementation Method 1

[0039] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 This embodiment, as an optional embodiment of this application, discloses a water-saving continuous lithium extraction system, including a plurality of adsorption resin columns 1, each of which has the same structure. Each adsorption resin column 1 includes an interconnected shell 101, and a plurality of spherical adsorbents 102 made of aluminum-based lithium adsorbent are disposed inside the shell 101.

[0040] Furthermore, the lithium extraction system also includes a valve-rotating continuous fluid separator 2. Around the rotation direction of the valve-rotating continuous fluid separator 2, the valve-rotating continuous fluid separator 2 is sequentially connected to an adsorption unit, a discharge unit, a rinsing unit, a desorption unit, and a top water unit. At the same time, the valve-rotating continuous fluid separator 2 is also provided with a number of outlet ends, each of which corresponds to each of the adsorption resin columns 1, and the corresponding outlet ends are connected to the inlet ends of the adsorption resin columns 1.

[0041] It should be noted that the valve-type continuous fluid separation device 2 achieves fluid pipeline switching through a rotary valve or a rotary shear valve;

[0042] Compared with the prior art, this application directly controls each fluid pipeline through a valve-type continuous fluid separation device, eliminating the need to rotate and control each resin adsorption column. Therefore, the volume of the resin adsorption column is no longer limited by external equipment, which is beneficial to expand the volume of the resin adsorption column, thereby improving the processing capacity of the equipment and increasing the lithium adsorption efficiency.

[0043] Furthermore, the adsorption unit includes a feeding pipe 6, the inlet end of which is connected to an external brine source, and the outlet end of which is connected to the corresponding interface on the valve-type continuous fluid separation device 2. Along the flow direction of the fluid, a filter 7 and a delivery pump 8 are sequentially arranged on the feeding pipe 6.

[0044] Furthermore, the venting unit includes a venting pump 9, the inlet end of which is connected to the adsorption resin column 1;

[0045] The valve-type continuous fluid separator 2 is provided with an air inlet pipe 10, which is connected to the inlet end of the adsorption resin column 1.

[0046] During operation, after the valve-type continuous fluid separator completes the pipeline switching, the air inlet pipe connects the adsorption resin column to the external atmospheric environment. When the exhaust pump 9 extracts the residual solution in the adsorption resin column, air enters the adsorption resin column through the air inlet pipe 10.

[0047] Furthermore, the rinsing unit includes a rinsing pipe 11 and a transfer tank 12. A rinsing feed pump 13 is installed on the rinsing pipe 11. The inlet end of the rinsing pipe 11 is connected to the transfer tank 12, and its outlet end is connected to the corresponding interface of the valve-type continuous fluid separator 2. The inlet end of the transfer tank 12 is connected to the product collection unit through a pipeline, and a corresponding delivery pump is installed on the pipeline.

[0048] Furthermore, the analysis unit includes a water supply pipe 14 and a water supply pump 15. The outlet end of the water supply pipe 14 is connected to the corresponding interface of the valve-type continuous fluid separation device 2, and the inlet end of the water supply pipe 14 is connected to an external pure water source through the water supply pump 15.

[0049] Furthermore, the top water unit includes a top water pipe 16, the outlet end of which is connected to the corresponding interface of the valve-type continuous fluid separator 2; the inlet end of the top water pipe 16 is connected to the raw material tank 3.

[0050] The top water unit also includes a discharge pipe 17. The inlet end of the discharge pipe is connected to the outlet end of the resin adsorption column. The outlet end of the discharge pipe 17 is also connected in parallel with two discharge branches 18. One of the discharge branches 18 is connected to the transfer tank 12 so that the discharged residual washing water can be collected in the transfer tank and directly reused for rinsing operations, thereby realizing the secondary use of washing water and reducing the water consumption of the equipment.

[0051] Another discharge branch 18 is connected to the tail material collection tank 15; both discharge branches 18 are equipped with regulating valves 5 for adjusting their on / off state, and an online conductivity meter 4 is also installed on the top water pipe 16.

[0052] During operation, the top water pipe delivers lithium-containing brine from the adsorption unit to the resin adsorption column. The residual desorption endpoint water from the desorption unit is pushed out by the input lithium-containing brine and discharged from the resin adsorption column. At this time, the regulating valve on the connecting branch connected to the rinsing pipe opens, while the regulating valve on the other connecting branch closes. The pushed-out desorption endpoint water is directly used for rinsing. Since the conductivity of the lithium-containing brine is greater than that of the residual desorption water, as the residual desorption water is discharged, some of the mixture of lithium-containing brine and residual desorption water will be gradually discharged, leading to a gradual increase in conductivity. By monitoring the conductivity of the discharged solution in real time using an online conductivity meter installed at the outlet of the resin adsorption column, it is possible to quickly determine whether the residual washing water has been completely discharged, thereby controlling the working state of the two switching and regulating valves to achieve pipeline switching and guide the tail brine generated by the top water unit to the tail material collection tank. Specifically, a conductivity of 12 mS / cm is used as the reference parameter for the switching control of the regulating valves.

[0053] Furthermore, the lithium extraction system also includes a tailings collection unit and a product collection unit. The tailings collection unit includes a tailings collection tank 19, and the product collection unit includes a product collection tank 20. Several discharge pipes are also provided at the bottom of the housing. Each discharge pipe is equipped with a regulating valve to control its on / off state. Each discharge pipe is connected to the tailings collection tank 19, the product collection tank 20, and other components. The tailings collection tank 19 is used to receive the adsorption tail liquid generated by the adsorption unit, the residual adsorption tail liquid discharged by the emptying unit, and the rinsing liquid discharged by the rinsing unit.

[0054] The product collection tank 20 is used to receive the eluted product;

[0055] In use of the lithium extraction system described in this application, the adsorption unit injects brine into a portion of the adsorption resin column via the valve-rotating continuous fluid separator. After adsorption is complete, the valve-rotating continuous fluid separator is rotated to switch the control pipeline, connecting the adsorption resin column that has completed adsorption to the evacuation unit to discharge the residual tail liquid from the adsorption column. The adsorption unit then re-injects brine into a portion of the adsorption resin column, and subsequently switches the pipeline again to connect the evacuated adsorption resin column to the rinsing unit. In the rinsing unit, the adsorption resin column is washed with a lithium-containing solution. During the rinsing process, lithium in the lithium-containing solution... Ions are absorbed a second time by the adsorbent, and the eluent, along with impurities, forms a tail liquid that enters the product collection unit. The resin adsorption column then enters the desorption unit, where lithium is eluted from the adsorbent using pure water. The lithium eluent enters the product collection unit, and finally, lithium-containing brine is injected back into the resin adsorption column through the top water unit. The lithium-containing brine discharges the residual eluent from the resin adsorption column, and the discharged eluent re-enters the rinsing unit for rinsing. The above process can be repeated through the circulation control of the valve-type continuous fluid separation device, thereby achieving continuous production of the equipment.

[0056] Compared with the prior art, this application drains the residual tail liquid in the adsorption resin column through the evacuation unit, and washes the resin adsorption column by rinsing with lithium-containing solution. In the top water unit, lithium-containing brine pushes out the residual washing liquid and puts it back into the rinsing unit, realizing the secondary use of residual washing water and reducing the water consumption of the equipment.

[0057] It should be noted that the lithium-containing solution used for rinsing mentioned above refers to the mixture of the desorption product and the recovered top water.

[0058] Secondly, this application achieves pipeline switching through a valve-type continuous fluid separation device, keeping the adsorption resin column in a fixed state. This not only helps reduce the operating energy consumption of the equipment but also increases the volume of the adsorption resin column, thereby improving the equipment's processing capacity and improving lithium extraction efficiency.

[0059] The above are merely preferred embodiments of this application and do not limit the patent scope of this application. Any equivalent structural or procedural transformations made using the content of this application's specification and drawings, or direct or indirect applications in other related technical fields, are similarly included within the patent protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A water-saving continuous lithium extraction system, characterized in that, It includes several adsorption resin columns (1); A valve-rotating continuous fluid separator (2) is connected in sequence to an adsorption unit, an emptying unit, a rinsing unit, a desorption unit, and a top water unit around the rotation direction of the valve-rotating continuous fluid separator (2); the outlet end of the valve-rotating continuous fluid separator (2) is connected to the inlet end of each of the adsorption resin columns (1); The inlet end of the adsorption unit is connected to a raw material tank (3) to control the flow of lithium-containing raw materials or brine through the adsorption resin column (1) to complete lithium adsorption. The evacuation unit is used to drain the residual adsorption tail liquid in the adsorption resin column (1); The rinsing unit washes the adsorption resin column (1) by pumping in a lithium-containing solution; The analytical unit elutes lithium from the adsorption resin column (1) by pumping in pure water. The inlet end of the top water unit is connected to the raw material tank (3), and the outlet end of the top water unit is connected to the rinsing unit and the tail material collection unit respectively. The outlet end of the top water unit is also equipped with an online conductivity meter (4) and several regulating valves (5) for controlling the connection status of the pipeline. The tail material collection unit is used to collect the adsorption tail liquid generated by the adsorption unit, the residual adsorption tail liquid discharged by the evacuation unit, and the rinsing liquid discharged by the rinsing unit. The product collection unit is used to collect the analytical products generated by the analytical unit during elution.

2. The water-saving continuous lithium extraction system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The adsorption resin column includes a shell, which is filled with spherical adsorbent made of aluminum-based lithium adsorbent.

3. The water-saving continuous lithium extraction system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The adsorption unit includes a feed pipe (6), which is connected to the valve-type continuous fluid separation device (2) and the raw material tank (3); along the flow direction of the fluid, a filter (7) and a delivery pump (8) are sequentially arranged on the feed pipe (6).

4. The water-saving continuous lithium extraction system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The venting unit includes a venting pump (9), the inlet end of which is connected to the adsorption resin column (1), and the outlet end of which is connected to the tail material collection unit; the valve-type continuous fluid separation device (2) is provided with an air inlet pipe (10) connected to the adsorption resin column (1).

5. The water-saving continuous lithium extraction system according to claim 3, characterized in that, The rinsing unit includes a rinsing pipe (11) and a transfer tank (12); the inlet end of the transfer tank (12) is connected to the product collection unit, and its outlet end is connected to the valve-type continuous fluid separator (2) through the rinsing pipe (11). A rinsing feed pump (13) is provided on the rinsing pipe (11).

6. The water-saving continuous lithium extraction system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The analytical unit includes a water supply pipe (14) and a water pump (15), and the water supply pipe (14) connects the valve-type continuous fluid separation device (2) to an external pure water source.

7. The water-saving continuous lithium extraction system according to claim 5, characterized in that, The top water unit includes a top water pipe (16), which connects the valve-type continuous fluid separator (2) to the raw material tank (3).

8. The water-saving continuous lithium extraction system according to claim 7, characterized in that, The top water unit also includes a discharge pipe (17), the online conductivity meter (4) is installed on the discharge pipe (17), and the outlet end of the discharge pipe (17) is connected to the transfer tank (12) and the tail material collection unit respectively through two parallel discharge branches (18); both discharge branches (18) are equipped with regulating valves (5).

9. A water-saving continuous lithium extraction system according to claim 3, characterized in that, The tailings collection unit includes a tailings collection trough (19).

10. A water-saving continuous lithium extraction system according to claim 3, characterized in that, The product collection unit includes a product collection trough (20).

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