Lithium recovery device and recovery method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016060777-A1
Application number	US-201414785219-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 14, 2014
Priority date	Apr 17, 2013
Publication date	Mar 3, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present invention relates to a lithium recovery device and recovery method. The lithium recovery device of the present invention includes: a first electrode; a second electrode; and a power supply device. In the lithium recovery device of the present invention, since lithium is attached to an adsorbent of the first electrode by applying a current to the first and second electrodes in a state in which the first and second electrodes are immersed in a lithium-containing fluid, the first electrode including a carrier made of a stainless steel material in a form of an iron mesh or perforated sheet and having a surface coated with the adsorbent containing a manganese oxide, and the second electrode facing the first electrode, it is possible to increase a size of the device and have excellent energy efficiency and economic feasibility.

First claim

1 . A lithium recovery device comprising:
a first electrode including a carrier of which a surface is coated with an adsorbent containing a manganese oxide; a second electrode configured to be immersed in a lithium-containing fluid, positioned to face the first electrode with an interval therebetween, and configured to be applied with electricity; and a power supply device configured to apply electricity to the first and second electrodes, and configured to apply a negative polarity (− polarity) and a positive polarity (+ polarity) to the first and second electrodes, respectively, and then, configured to change polarities of the applied electricity to thereby apply the positive polarity (+ polarity) to the first electrode and apply the negative polarity (− polarity) to the second electrode.

2 . The lithium recovery device of claim 1 , wherein the first electrode is coated with the adsorbent containing the manganese oxide.

3 . The lithium recovery device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a volt meter configured to measure a voltage applied to the first and second electrodes; and an ampere meter configured to measure a current applied to the first electrode.

4 . The lithium recovery device of claim 1 , further comprising an insulation layer positioned between the first and second electrodes to insulate the first and second electrodes from each other and penetrate the fluid therethrough.

5 . The lithium recovery device of claim 1 , wherein a plurality of first and second electrodes are alternately disposed with an interval therebetween.

6 . The lithium recovery device of claim 5 , wherein the adsorbent is an adsorbent prepared by coating a coating solution containing a manganese precursor, a lithium precursor, and an enhancer on the carrier and heating the carrier.

7 . The lithium recovery device of claim 6 , wherein the enhancer is a single or composite compound selected from all transition metal compounds of titanium, zirconium, nickel, and cobalt, all rare earth elements of cerium, and typical element compounds.

8 . The lithium recovery device of claim 6 , wherein the adsorbent further contains a metal chelate compound.

9 . The lithium recovery device of claim 8 , wherein the metal chelate compound is an organic compound including at least one of a ketone group, a hydroxyl group, an amine group, an amide group, a sulfide group, and a phosphorus functional group, which are functional groups including Group 5A and Group 6A elements.

10 . A lithium recovery method characterized in that after lithium is adsorbed in an adsorbent of a first electrode by applying a negative polarity (− polarity) and a positive polarity (+ polarity) to first and second electrodes, respectively, in a state in which the second electrode is immersed in a lithium-containing fluid, lithium is separated from the adsorbent by changing polarities of electricity applied to the first and second electrodes, wherein the first electrode includes a carrier of which a surface is coated with the adsorbent containing a manganese oxide, and the second electrode is positioned to face the first electrode with an interval therebetween and applied with electricity.

11 . An electrode manufacturing method for a lithium recovery device, the electrode manufacturing method comprising:
coating a solution containing a lithium compound, a manganese compound, and an enhancer on a carrier; and heating the coated carrier to form a lithium manganese oxide layer.

12 . The electrode manufacturing method of claim 11 , wherein the solution further contains a metal chelating agent.

Assignees

• Korea Inst Geoscience & Minera

Inventors

• Chung Kang-Sup
• Kim Byoung-Gyu
• Ryu Tae Gong
• Ryu Jung Ho
• Park In-Su
• Hong Hye-Jin
• Lee Kyoung Chul

Classifications

• C25C1/22 Primary

  of metals not provided for in groups C25C1/02 - C25C1/20 · CPC title

• C25C7/02

  Electrodes (consumable anodes for the refining the metals C25C1/00 - C25C5/00); Connections thereof · CPC title

• C25C1/02 Primary

  of light metals · CPC title

• C25C3/34 Primary

  of metals not provided for in groups C25C3/02 - C25C3/32 · CPC title