Lithium Brine Reverse Osmosis After Selective Ion Capture
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for recovering lithium from brines face challenges in efficiently removing interfering ions like magnesium and calcium, especially at higher concentrations, which affect the economic viability and efficiency of lithium recovery.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a lithium-specific sorbent that preferentially binds lithium, combined with reverse osmosis, is used to capture and concentrate lithium ions, followed by purification steps to remove divalent ions and other impurities, resulting in high-purity lithium compounds like lithium hydroxide or lithium carbonate.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional precipitation with lime is used to remove magnesium, then low concentration magnesium can be removed, but it becomes infeasible at higher magnesium concentrations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses ion exchange resins with specific selectivity coefficients to remove magnesium and calcium ions from brine solutions. By selecting resins with appropriate ion exchange properties (parameter change in resin chemistry), the process can effectively remove interfering ions across a wide range of concentrations, including high magnesium concentrations where conventional lime precipitation fails.
2Quantity of substance
If reverse osmosis is applied directly to raw brine, then concentration can be achieved, but interfering ions remain and affect lithium recovery economics
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a multi-stage process combining ion exchange and reverse osmosis. The ion exchange step segments and removes interfering ions (magnesium, calcium, boron) before the reverse osmosis step concentrates lithium. This segmentation of purification and concentration functions achieves both high lithium concentration and high purity, making the process economically viable.
3Manufacturing precision
If multiple purification steps are added to remove interfering ions, then lithium purity improves, but process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges ion exchange and reverse osmosis into an integrated hybrid system. The ion exchange resin columns are positioned before the reverse osmosis membranes, creating a unified process flow that achieves high purity lithium concentration without requiring multiple separate purification units. This merging reduces overall process complexity while maintaining high manufacturing precision.
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
This approach significantly enriches lithium over other ions, achieving high purity and concentration, thereby enhancing the economic recovery of lithium compounds.
Implementation Method 1
concentrating the lithium rich stream by supplying the lithium rich stream to a reverse osmosis step to produce a concentrated lithium rich stream
Implementation Method 2
a lithium-specific sorbent that preferentially binds lithium
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are methods of extracting lithium from a lithium containing solution, as well as the resulting compositions. The method includes supplying a lithium containing solution to a lithium capture step, the lithium capture step being operable to capture lithium from the lithium salt containing solution. The method further includes recovering lithium from the lithium capture step to produce a lithium rich stream. In especially preferred methods, the lithium capture step is performed to increase the lithium to sodium ratio above at least 1:1. Optionally, the lithium rich stream can be purified to remove divalent ions and borate ions. The lithium rich stream is then concentrated by supplying the lithium rich stream to a reverse osmosis step to produce a concentrated lithium rich stream.