Midstream Liquid Pretreatment for Fouling-Resistant Lithium Extraction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing midstream liquid resource treatment processes for lithium extraction are hindered by the presence of impurities and chemicals introduced during oil and gas extraction, leading to fouling, chemical interactions, and degradation of sorbents and membranes, reducing the efficiency and lifespan of lithium extraction systems.
Innovation Solution
A multi-step treatment regimen involving biocides, oxidizers, flocculants, and filtration methods, followed by critical material extraction using sorbent compositions like lithium manganese oxide (LMO) and lithium ion-sieve (LIS), to remove impurities and enhance lithium extraction efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional treatment processes are used to extract lithium from midstream liquid resources, then lithium extraction can be performed, but impurities and chemicals cause fouling, chemical interactions, and degradation of sorbents and membranes, reducing efficiency and lifespan
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by implementing a multi-step pre-treatment regimen before lithium extraction that includes biocide application to kill microorganisms, oxidizer treatment to break down organic matter, and flocculant addition to aggregate suspended solids. This pre-treatment removes impurities that would otherwise cause fouling and degradation of sorbents and membranes during subsequent lithium extraction processes, thereby extending their lifespan while maintaining extraction efficiency.
2Productivity
If multiple treatment chemicals are applied to remove impurities, then extraction efficiency improves, but chemical interactions and fouling increase, degrading the extraction system
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts harmful factors into beneficial effects by using oxidizers to transform organic matter and contaminants into less harmful substances that are easier to remove. The biocides convert harmful microorganisms into harmless biomass that can be filtered out. Flocculants convert dispersed suspended solids into aggregated flocs that settle more easily. This approach maintains high extraction efficiency while minimizing fouling and chemical interference with the sorbents and membranes.
3Productivity
If pre-treatment and treatment regimens are applied to remove impurities, then lithium extraction is enhanced, but the complexity of the process increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the treatment process into distinct sequential stages: biocide application stage, oxidizer treatment stage, flocculant addition stage, and filtration stage. Each stage targets specific types of impurities with specialized chemicals and methods. This segmented approach enhances lithium extraction efficiency by systematically removing different categories of contaminants while keeping each individual treatment step relatively simple and manageable.
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 reduces impurities to achieve a lithium-rich product with a concentration of 100-500 ppm, improving the efficiency and lifespan of lithium extraction systems by minimizing fouling and chemical interference.
Implementation Method 1
applying a biocide to the volume of the midstream liquid resource
Implementation Method 2
applying an oxidizer such as hydrogen peroxide, ozone, bubbled oxygen, nanobubbled oxygen
Implementation Method 3
applying at least one of a polyacrylamide (PAM), polyethyleneimine, polyamines, polyDADMAC (polydiallyldimethylammonium chloride), starch-based flocculants, chitosan, or other organic or inorganic flocculants
Implementation Method 4
exposing the pre-treated fluid to a sorbent composition for a contact time. The sorbent composition may include one or more of a lithium manganese oxide (LMO), a lithium manganese oxide (LMO)-type lithium ion-sieve (LIS), a titanate sorbent, or an aluminate sorbent
Implementation Method 5
altering the cationic or anionic constituency using a media bed, ion-exchange process, or ceramic/polymeric membrane filtration
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the present disclosure may include a system and method for enhancing the extraction of lithium from a liquid resource. A volume of midstream-liquid resource may be received from a site like a pipeline, tank, or disposal site where the midstream-liquid resource may undergo a pre-treatment. A treatment regimen may be applied to remove hydrocarbons, organic matter, hydrogen sulfide, ions, and suspended solids along with reduction of excess pre-treatment chemicals and byproducts. Embodiments may further include critical-material extraction. The system for this process includes a pre-treatment station, a filtration station, and a direct-lithium-extraction (DLE) unit, with a reverse-osmosis station to concentrate the lithium product.