Hydrogen, lithium, and lithium hydride production

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10632436-B2
Application number	US-201715592289-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 11, 2017
Priority date	Aug 31, 2011
Publication date	Apr 28, 2020
Grant date	Apr 28, 2020

Abstract

A hydrogen, lithium, and lithium hydride processing apparatus includes a hot zone to heat solid-phase lithium hydride to form liquid-phase lithium hydride; a vacuum source to extract hydrogen and gaseous-phase lithium metal from the liquid-phase lithium hydride; a cold zone to condense the gaseous-phase lithium metal as purified solid-phase lithium metal; and a heater to melt the purified solid-phase lithium metal in the cold zone and form refined liquid-phase lithium metal in the hot zone.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A hydrogen, lithium, and lithium hydride processing apparatus comprising:
a hot zone having a first heating source to heat a lithium hydride source material and decompose the lithium hydride source material to form gaseous-phase hydrogen and subsequently gaseous-phase lithium metal;
a vacuum source to extract the gaseous-phase hydrogen and subsequently gaseous-phase lithium metal; and
a cold zone to condense the gaseous-phase lithium metal as purified solid-phase lithium metal, the cold zone including a second heating source to melt the purified solid-phase lithium metal in the cold zone to form refined liquid-phase lithium metal.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the refined liquid-phase lithium metal is extracted back to the hot zone, the processing apparatus further comprising a source of hydrogen connected to the hot zone to hydride the refined liquid-phase lithium metal.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a moderate zone disposed between the hot zone and the cold zone to capture a lithium condensate portion of the gaseous-phase lithium and to return the lithium condensate portion to the hot zone as liquid-phase lithium condensate.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the hot zone includes a process vessel for heating the solid-phase lithium hydride and collecting the refined liquid-phase lithium metal.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 further comprising a moderate zone disposed between the hot zone and the cold zone to return the refined liquid-phase lithium metal to the hot zone.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the moderate zone is integrated into a lid of the process vessel, the lid having a cylinder extending through the lid for directing the refined liquid-phase lithium metal to a collection can disposed in the process vessel.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the collection can is elevated within the process vessel to prevent the refined liquid-phase lithium metal from converting to gaseous-phase lithium metal.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 further comprising a reverse funnel-shaped portion disposed in the process vessel adjacent an entry end of the cylinder.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the apparatus comprises a filter to purify the gaseous-phase hydrogen extracted from the lithium hydride source material.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an agitator to retard a formation of a barrier crust.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the agitator comprises an inert gas sparge to sparge liquid-phase lithium hydride formed in the hot zone.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the agitator comprises an energy source having a periodic waveform to agitate liquid-phase lithium hydride formed in the hot zone.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the cold zone comprises a counter flow gas to gas heat exchanger.

14. A hydrogen, lithium, and lithium hydride processing apparatus comprising:
a process vessel including:
a hot zone to heat a lithium hydride source material and decompose the lithium hydride source material to form gaseous-phase hydrogen and subsequently gaseous-phase lithium metal,
a collection can disposed in the hot zone, and
a lid disposed above the collection can, the lid forming a moderate zone to condense at least a portion of the gaseous-phase lithium metal to liquid-phase lithium metal and return the liquid-phase lithium metal to the collection can disposed in the hot zone;

a cold zone in fluid communication with the process vessel to condense gaseous-phase lithium metal to solid-phase lithium metal from the gaseous-phase lithium metal that is not condensed to liquid-phase lithium metal in the moderate zone; and
a vacuum source in fluid communication with the process vessel and cold zone to extract the gaseous-phase hydrogen and subsequently gaseous-phase lithium metal from the hot zone.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the moderate zone includes at least a cooling source for assisting in maintaining a desired temperature of the moderate zone.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the cooling source is disposed outside the process vessel adjacent the lid.

17. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the moderate zone is held to a temperature between about 300° C. to about 450° C.

18. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the moderate zone is held to a temperature of about 400° C.

19. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the cold zone further comprises a heater to melt the purified solid-phase lithium metal in the cold zone to be collected in the collection can disposed in the hot zone.

20. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the cold zone includes a conduit extending through the lid of the process vessel.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 further comprising a reverse funnel-shaped portion disposed in the process vessel adjacent an entry end of the conduit.

22. A hydrogen, lithium, and lithium hydride processing apparatus comprising:
a process vessel including:
a hot zone to heat a lithium hydride source material and decompose the lithium hydride source material to form gaseous-phase hydrogen and subsequently gaseous-phase lithium metal,
a collection can disposed in the hot zone, and
a lid disposed above the collection can, the lid forming a moderate zone to condense at least a portion of the gaseous-phase lithium metal to liquid-phase lithium metal and return the liquid-phase lithium metal to the collection can disposed in the hot zone;

a cold zone in fluid communication with the process vessel to condense gaseous-phase lithium metal to solid-phase lithium metal from the gaseous-phase lithium metal that is not condensed to liquid-phase lithium metal in the moderate zone; and
a vacuum source in fluid communication with the process vessel and cold zone to extract the gaseous-phase hydrogen and subsequently gaseous-phase lithium metal from the hot zone,
wherein the collection can is positioned within the process vessel to prevent the liquid-phase lithium metal from converting to gaseous-phase lithium metal in the hot zone.

Assignees

• Cons Nuclear Security Llc

Inventors

• Brown Sam W
• Spencer Larry S
• Phillips Michael R
• Powell G Louis
• Campbell Peggy J

Classifications

• B01J7/00 Primary

  Apparatus for generating gases (production of inert gas mixtures B01J19/14; for generating specific gases, see the relevant subclasses, e.g. C01B, C10J {; in "air bags" on vehicles B60R21/26; for starter gas F02C7/26; blasting cartridges for producing gas under pressure F42B3/04}) · CPC title

• C22B26/12

  Obtaining lithium · CPC title

• F27D2007/066

  Vacuum · CPC title

• C22B9/026

  by acoustic waves, e.g. supersonic waves · CPC title

• C22B9/04

  Refining by applying a vacuum · CPC title