Lithium Recovery from Clay via Selective Extraction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for recovering critical minerals like lithium from earth materials, such as clays, result in significant lithium loss due to inefficient precipitation processes, with only 40% recovery on average, necessitating more effective and efficient methods for extraction and purification.
Innovation Solution
A method involving leaching lithium from clays using an aqueous leaching fluid followed by a selective extraction process, which includes an extraction stage, purification stage, and optional conversion stage, utilizing lithium-selective materials and electrochemical separation to concentrate and purify lithium, and concurrently using aqueous streams for further leaching and processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If conventional precipitation from brine by atmospheric evaporation is used to recover lithium, then other salts (sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium) are removed from solution, but significant lithium loss occurs into the precipitated solids resulting in only 40% recovery
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies extraction by selectively removing lithium ions from the brine solution using a selective agent. The selective agent binds to lithium ions, extracting them from the solution while leaving other salts behind, thereby preventing lithium loss into precipitated solids and achieving high recovery rates.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the chemical parameters of the brine solution by adjusting pH, temperature, or adding selective reagents to create conditions where lithium can be selectively recovered. By modifying solution chemistry parameters, the process achieves selective lithium precipitation or extraction without co-precipitation of other salts.
2Productivity
If atmospheric evaporation pools are used for lithium recovery, then water is evaporated over many months to concentrate lithium, but the process is slow and requires large surface areas
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the slow mechanical evaporation process with a chemical extraction or selective precipitation process. Instead of relying on atmospheric evaporation over months, the invention uses chemical reactions or selective binding agents to rapidly concentrate and recover lithium, dramatically reducing processing time from months to days or hours.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical and chemical parameters of the system by using controlled chemical reactions, temperature adjustments, or pH modifications to accelerate lithium concentration. This substitutes the slow natural evaporation process with a controlled chemical process that achieves the same concentration effect much faster.
3Manufacturing precision
If conventional precipitation processes are used, then salts are removed from brine, but lithium is lost into the precipitated solids requiring additional purification steps
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses selective extraction to isolate lithium from other salts in a single step. The selective agent specifically binds to lithium ions, separating them from the brine without causing co-precipitation of other salts. This eliminates the need for multiple purification steps to remove lithium contaminated in precipitates.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a selective agent or intermediary substance that mediates between lithium ions and the precipitated solids. This intermediary selectively binds to lithium, preventing it from entering the solid phase with other salts, thereby achieving high purity lithium recovery in a single 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
This method significantly increases lithium recovery and purification efficiency, achieving a lithium concentrate with high total dissolved solids, reducing impurity levels, and allowing for the production of lithium products like lithium hydroxide or carbonate, while minimizing water handling and optimizing resource use.
Implementation Method 1
extracting the target ion from the target solution using a selective extraction process selective for the target ion
Implementation Method 2
extracting the target ion from the target solution using an extraction stage of a selective extraction process selective for the target ion
Implementation Method 3
utilizing lithium-selective materials and electrochemical separation to concentrate and purify lithium
Implementation Method 4
leaching lithium from clays using an aqueous leaching fluid
Implementation Method 5
leaching a target ion from an earth material to form a target solution
Data Source
AI summary
Described herein are methods of recovering a target ion, such as lithium, from earth materials. The methods include leaching the target ion from an earth material such as a clay to form a target solution and extracting the target ion from the dilute lithium solution using a extraction process selective for the target ion to yield a concentrate which can be converted to a product.