Spray Drying Lithium Carbonate Production

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for producing lithium carbonate from brines are inefficient and economically unviable, particularly for brines from the Uyuni salt flats in Bolivia, due to long evaporation times and low recovery rates, and there is a need for a method that can produce high-purity lithium carbonate quickly and economically.

Innovation Solution

A method involving the removal of magnesium and boron from brines using calcium hydroxide, followed by separation of remaining magnesium and calcium using sodium oxalate, concentration through spray drying, washing to concentrate lithium, and carbonation with sodium carbonate to produce high-purity lithium carbonate.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If solar evaporation is used to produce lithium carbonate from brines, then lithium carbonate can be produced, but the evaporation time is long and recovery is low

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveproduction efficiencyVSAvoidevaporation time

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the natural solar evaporation process with a mechanical spray drying system. The brine is sprayed into fine droplets and exposed to hot air in a controlled chamber, transforming the passive solar evaporation into an active mechanical drying process that operates independently of weather conditions and achieves rapid water removal.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent utilizes the phase transition of water from liquid to vapor through controlled heating in the spray drying chamber. The hot air causes rapid evaporation of water from the sprayed brine droplets, concentrating lithium and other salts efficiently without requiring extended natural solar exposure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #36Phase transitions

2Productivity

If solar evaporation is used to produce lithium carbonate, then production can proceed, but the recovery rate is low

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverecovery rateVSAvoidlithium loss

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary purification of the brine before the concentration step by removing magnesium and calcium ions that would otherwise co-precipitate with lithium carbonate. This pre-treatment ensures that subsequent processing steps recover maximum lithium without contamination losses.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent controls the drying temperature and air flow parameters in the spray dryer to optimize lithium recovery. By adjusting these parameters, the process achieves rapid water removal while minimizing lithium loss through splashing, splattering, or incomplete drying that occurs in conventional solar evaporation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Manufacturing precision

If conventional methods are used to remove impurities from brine, then some purification is achieved, but the process is complex and time-consuming

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepurity of lithium carbonateVSAvoidprocess complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple purification functions into a single integrated spray drying operation. The rapid evaporation and concentration occur simultaneously in one continuous process step, eliminating the need for separate evaporation, filtration, and concentration stages required by conventional methods.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses controlled chemical precipitation by adjusting pH and adding specific reagents to remove magnesium and calcium impurities before spray drying. This targeted approach achieves high purity lithium carbonate with simpler processing compared to conventional multi-step purification sequences.

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

This method significantly reduces the time required for brine concentration to less than one hour, achieves high-purity lithium carbonate with improved recovery rates, and provides a technological basis for producing lithium carbonate from Bolivia's Uyuni brines, addressing the economic and efficiency challenges of existing solar evaporation methods.

Implementation Method 1

The magnesium and the boron are removed by adsorption and precipitation using calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2)

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPrecipitation: Precipitation

Implementation Method 2

The remaining magnesium and the calcium are separated and removed using sodium oxalate (Na2C2O4)

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPrecipitation: Precipitation

Implementation Method 3

concentrating the resulting brine by spray drying to form a powder

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectEvaporation: Evaporation

Implementation Method 4

carbonating the lithium ions with sodium carbonate (Na2CO3)

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectChemical reaction: Chemical Bonding

Data Source

PatentUS9169125B2Method for producing high-purity lithium carbonate

Publication Date: 2015.10.27 KOREA MINE REHABILITATION & MINERAL RESOURCES CORP

AI summary

Disclosed is a method for producing high-purity lithium carbonate. The method includes: removing magnesium and boron from a brine; separating and removing the remaining magnesium and calcium; concentrating the resulting brine by spray drying to form a powder; washing the powder to concentrate lithium; and carbonating the lithium ions with sodium carbonate (Na2CO3).