Method for transforming a crystal form of an electrolyte containing lithium for aluminum electrolysis

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11566336-B2
Application number	US-201816759335-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 17, 2018
Priority date	Oct 27, 2017
Publication date	Jan 31, 2023
Grant date	Jan 31, 2023

Abstract

A method for transforming a crystal form of an electrolyte containing lithium for aluminum electrolysis includes the following steps: S1, pulverizing the electrolyte containing lithium; S2, uniformly mixing an additive with the electrolyte powder to obtain a mixture, wherein the additive is one or more selected from the group consisting of an oxide of an alkali metal other than lithium, an oxo acid salt of an alkali metal other than lithium, and a halide of an alkali metal other than lithium; a molar ratio of a sum of alkali metal fluoride contained in the electrolyte, alkali metal fluoride directly added from the additive, and alkali metal fluoride to which the additive is converted under the high-temperature calcination condition in the mixture to aluminum fluoride is greater than 3; S3, calcining the mixture at a high temperature.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for transforming a crystal form of an electrolyte containing lithium for an aluminum electrolysis, comprising the following steps:
S1, pulverizing the electrolyte containing lithium to obtain an electrolyte powder;
S2, uniformly mixing an additive with the electrolyte powder to obtain a mixture, wherein the additive comprises an oxo acid salt of an alkali metal excluding lithium; the oxo acid salt of the alkali metal excluding lithium is converted into an alkali metal oxide under a high-temperature calcination condition; the additive is mixed with the electrolyte powder according to a type of the additive, a first molar ratio of NaF to AlF 3 in the electrolyte powder, and a lithium salt content in the electrolyte powder, a second molar ratio of a sum of a first alkali metal fluoride, a second alkali metal fluoride, and a third alkali metal fluoride in the mixture to aluminum fluoride is greater than 3; wherein the first alkali metal fluoride is contained in the electrolyte powder, the second alkali metal fluoride is added by the additive, and the additive is converted to the third alkali metal fluoride under the high-temperature calcination condition; and
S3, briquetting the mixture, and calcining the mixture at 300° C.-1200° C. for 1 hour-5 hours;

wherein during a calcination process, an insoluble lithium salt in the electrolyte powder is converted into a soluble lithium salt;
wherein, in step S2, the oxo acid salt of the alkali metal excluding lithium is at least one selected from the group consisting of Na 2 SO 4 , Na 2 CO 3 , Na 2 C 2 O 4 , NaNO 3 , CH 3 COONa, K 2 SO 4 , K 2 CO 3 , K 2 C 2 O 4 , KNO 3 , and CH 3 COOK.

2. The method for transforming the crystal form of the electrolyte containing lithium for the aluminum electrolysis according to claim 1 , wherein, in step S2, the additive further comprises an oxide of an alkali metal excluding lithium.

3. The method for transforming the crystal form of the electrolyte containing lithium for the aluminum electrolysis according to claim 1 , wherein, in step S2, the additive further comprises a halide of an alkali metal excluding lithium.

4. The method for transforming the crystal form of the electrolyte containing lithium for the aluminum electrolysis according to claim 1 , wherein, the second molar ratio is 3-8:1.

5. The method for transforming the crystal form of the electrolyte containing lithium for the aluminum electrolysis according to claim 4 , wherein, the second molar ratio is 3.5-6:1.

6. The method for transforming the crystal form of the electrolyte containing lithium for the aluminum electrolysis according to claim 1 , wherein, the additive is pulverized before being mixed with the electrolyte powder.

7. The method for transforming the crystal form of the electrolyte containing lithium for the aluminum electrolysis according to claim 2 , wherein, the second molar ratio is 3-8:1.

8. The method for transforming the crystal form of the electrolyte containing lithium for the aluminum electrolysis according to claim 1 , wherein, the second molar ratio is 3-8:1.

9. The method for transforming the crystal form of the electrolyte containing lithium for the aluminum electrolysis according to claim 3 , wherein, the second molar ratio is 3-8:1.

10. The method for transforming the crystal form of the electrolyte containing lithium for the aluminum electrolysis according to claim 7 , wherein, the second molar ratio is 3.5-6:1.

11. The method for transforming the crystal form of the electrolyte containing lithium for the aluminum electrolysis according to claim 8 , wherein, the second molar ratio is 3.5-6:1.

12. The method for transforming the crystal form of the electrolyte containing lithium for the aluminum electrolysis according to claim 9 , wherein, the second molar ratio is 3.5-6:1.

13. The method for transforming the crystal form of an electrolyte containing lithium for the aluminum electrolysis according to claim 2 , wherein the oxide of the alkali metal excluding lithium is selected from the group consisting of sodium oxide, potassium oxide, and a mixture of sodium oxide and potassium oxide.

14. The method for transforming the crystal form of an electrolyte containing lithium for the aluminum electrolysis according to claim 3 , wherein the halide of the alkali metal excluding lithium is selected from the group consisting of NaF, NaCl, NaBr, KF, KCl, and KBr.

Assignees

• Univ Northeastern

Inventors

• Wang Zhaowen
• Tao Wenju
• Yang Youjian
• Gao Bingliang
• Liu Fengguo

Classifications

• C25C3/18 Primary

  Electrolytes · CPC title

• C01D15/04

  Halides · CPC title

• C01F7/54

  Double compounds containing both aluminium and alkali metals or alkaline-earth metals · CPC title

• C01D15/02 Primary

  Oxides; Hydroxides · CPC title

• Y02P10/20

  Recycling · CPC title