Lithium Bleed Stream Phosphate Recovery for Impurity Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing lithium extraction processes face challenges in efficiently removing impurities from streams, leading to loss of lithium and possibly other values as well as environmental issues in lithium recovery, lithium recovery, and which have lower lithium content and which, even if discharged as opposed to being totally recycled within the lithium extraction process circuit, in particular, where streams are recirculated through the lithium recovery, and are effectively solved in the lithium recovery, and which, even if discharged as opposed to being totally recycled within the lithium extraction process circuit, in particular, where the process of the invention has been developed.
Innovation Solution
The process involves contacting the aqueous impurity containing streams with a soluble phosphate to produce a precipitate containing lithium phosphate and a soluble phosphate for re-use in step (a) and treating the precipitate containing lithium phosphate with an aqueous reagent to produce a recyclable lithium salt.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a bleed stream is removed from the lithium extraction process to remove impurities, then impurity levels are reduced, but lithium losses occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes impurities (sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium) from the bleed stream through selective precipitation reactions, separating them from lithium. This allows the bleed stream to be treated and lithium to be recovered, resolving the contradiction between removing impurities and preventing lithium loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent recovers lithium from the bleed stream that would otherwise be discarded. By treating the bleed stream with selective precipitants and then recovering lithium through carbonation or other methods, the process converts what would be waste into a recoverable resource, eliminating both impurity buildup and lithium loss.
2Manufacturing precision
If impurities are removed from the lithium extraction process circuit, then product quality is maintained, but environmental issues arise from discharge water containing lithium
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful factor of lithium in discharge water into a benefit by recovering lithium from the treated bleed stream. The lithium that would have been environmentally harmful is instead captured and returned to the process, transforming an environmental problem into a resource recovery opportunity.
Solution Approach 2:
Rather than discarding lithium-containing water to the environment, the patent recovers lithium from the discharge water through treatment and precipitation processes, then returns it to the extraction circuit, eliminating environmental discharge while maintaining product quality.
3Productivity
If recirculated streams are used in the lithium extraction process, then process efficiency is improved, but impurity buildup occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts impurities from the recirculated streams through selective precipitation, removing sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium while leaving lithium in solution. This allows continuous recirculation of lithium-containing streams while periodically or continuously removing accumulated impurities.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables continuous operation by treating bleed streams that are continuously drawn from the recirculation system. The impurity removal process operates continuously or periodically alongside the recirculation, maintaining process efficiency while preventing impurity buildup that would otherwise disrupt operation.
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 process effectively reduces lithium losses and environmental impact by recovering over 80% of lithium from impurity streams, producing environmentally acceptable water discharge.
Implementation Method 1
contacting the aqueous impurity containing stream with a soluble phosphate to produce a precipitate containing lithium phosphate
Implementation Method 2
treating the precipitate containing lithium phosphate with an aqueous reagent to produce the soluble phosphate for re-use in step (a) and a lithium salt recyclable to the lithium extraction process
Data Source
AI summary
A process (100) for treating aqueous impurity containing streams containing lithium cations and impurities within a lithium extraction process comprises: (a) contacting the impurity containing stream with a soluble phosphate to produce a precipitate containing lithium phosphate and a soluble impurity containing stream; and (b) treating the precipitate containing lithium phosphate with an aqueous reagent to produce the soluble phosphate for re-use in step (a) and a lithium salt recyclable to the lithium extraction process (100). Lithium recovery from the impurity containing stream may be 80% or greater.