Granulated Lithium Adsorbent Sintering for Low-Manganese Elution

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for producing lithium adsorbents on a commercial scale struggle with insufficient suppression of manganese elution during the eluting step, making it difficult to maintain uniform acid concentration and leading to inefficiencies in the production process.

Innovation Solution

A producing method involving a kneading step, granulating step, and a sintering step at specific temperatures (520°C to 600°C for 4 to 6 hours) to convert divalent manganese in the lithium adsorbent precursor to tetravalent manganese, reducing its water solubility and thus suppressing elution.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If acid solution is used to elute lithium from the lithium adsorbent, then lithium can be extracted, but manganese elution occurs and cannot be sufficiently suppressed

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelithium extraction efficiencyVSAvoidmanganese elution
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by performing a sintering step before the elution step. The lithium adsorbent precursor is sintered at 520-600°C for 4-6 hours to convert divalent manganese to tetravalent manganese, which has lower water solubility. This preliminary thermal treatment prepares the material in advance to resist manganese elution during the subsequent acid treatment, thereby suppressing manganese elution while maintaining lithium extraction efficiency

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies parameter changes by controlling the sintering temperature (520-600°C) and time (4-6 hours) to achieve the desired chemical transformation. This specific parameter range facilitates the conversion of divalent manganese to tetravalent manganese, which fundamentally changes the solubility parameter of manganese in the material, making it resistant to elution by acid solution while allowing lithium to be extracted

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Object-generated harmful factors

If acid concentration in the eluting solution is increased to suppress manganese elution, then manganese elution is reduced, but the cost and complexity of controlling acid concentration uniformly increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanganese elutionVSAvoidacid concentration control
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-generated harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by performing a sintering step before the elution step. The lithium adsorbent precursor is sintered at 520-600°C for 4-6 hours to convert divalent manganese to tetravalent manganese, which has lower water solubility. This preliminary thermal treatment prepares the material in advance to resist manganese elution during the subsequent acid treatment, thereby suppressing manganese elution while maintaining lithium extraction efficiency

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies parameter changes by controlling the sintering temperature (520-600°C) and time (4-6 hours) to achieve the desired chemical transformation. This specific parameter range facilitates the conversion of divalent manganese to tetravalent manganese, which fundamentally changes the solubility parameter of manganese in the material, making it resistant to elution by acid solution while allowing lithium to be extracted

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Object-generated harmful factors

If the sintering temperature is increased to further suppress manganese elution, then manganese elution is reduced, but energy consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanganese elutionVSAvoidsintering energy consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-generated harmful factorsVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies parameter changes by controlling the sintering temperature (520-600°C) and time (4-6 hours) to achieve the desired chemical transformation. This specific parameter range facilitates the conversion of divalent manganese to tetravalent manganese, which fundamentally changes the solubility parameter of manganese in the material, making it resistant to elution by acid solution while allowing lithium to be extracted

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The method effectively suppresses manganese elution, allowing the lithium adsorbent to be reused repeatedly and reducing the manganese concentration in the eluent, thereby optimizing the production process.

Implementation Method 1

a sintering step of sintering the 1 st granulated body

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSintering: Sintering

Implementation Method 2

the divalent manganese can be further allowed to become the tetravalent manganese

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectOxidation: Oxidation

Data Source

PatentEP4134159B1Method for manufacturing granulated body for lithium adsorption
Publication Date: 2026.03.04 SUMITOMO METAL MINING CO LTD
  • EP4134159B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4134159B1 patent drawingFigure 2

AI summary

Provided is a producing method of granulated body for lithium adsorption that allows sufficiently suppressing a manganese elution in an eluting step when producing lithium on a commercial basis. A producing method of granulated body for lithium adsorption includes a kneading step of kneading a powder of a lithium adsorbent precursor and a binder to obtain a kneaded product, a granulating step of granulating the kneaded product to obtain a 1st granulated body, and a sintering step of sintering the 1st granulated body to obtain a 2nd granulated body. The configuration allows a manganese valence contained in the lithium adsorbent precursor to change from 2 to 4, and thus allowing the suppressed manganese elution in the eluting step. Further, in production on a commercial basis, the lithium adsorbent can be used repeatedly. In addition, a manganese concentration in an eluent obtained in the eluting step can be suppressed, thus allowing loads in steps after the eluting step to be reduced.