Sorbents for Recovery of Lithium Values from Brines

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017333867-A1
Application number	US-201515522829-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 16, 2015
Priority date	Oct 30, 2014
Publication date	Nov 23, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

Processes are disclosed for the preparation of granular sorbent, useful to recover lithium values from brine. The process comprises reacting a granular aluminum hydroxide with an aqueous solution containing lithium salt and alkali hydroxide, optionally in the presence of alkali chloride. The granular aluminum hydroxide can be a compressed aluminum hydroxide having an average particle size of at least 300 microns. The granular sorbent obtained by the method and its use to recover lithium values from brine are disclosed.

First claim

1 . A process for the preparation of a granular sorbent of the formula (LiOH) a (LiX) 1-a .2Al(OH) 3 , where a=0-1, X is the anion moiety of a lithium salt, having a lithium to aluminum molar ratio of up to about 0.50, comprising reacting an aqueous solution which contains lithium salt and alkali hydroxide, optionally in the presence of sodium salt, with granular aluminum hydroxide.

2 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the lithium salt is lithium chloride, the alkali hydroxide is sodium hydroxide, and the optional sodium salt, if present, is sodium chloride.

3 . The process of claim 2 , wherein the granular aluminum hydroxide has an average particle size of at least 300 microns and has been morphologically altered by compression.

4 . The process of claim 3 , wherein the granular aluminum hydroxide has a surface area of at least 3 m 2 /g.

5 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the aluminum hydroxide is Gibbsite.

6 . The process of claim 1 , wherein a=0.7-0.85.

7 . A process for the preparation of a granular sorbent of the formula (LiOH) a (LiX) 1-a .2Al(OH) 3 , where a=0-1, X is the anion moiety of a lithium salt, having a lithium to aluminum molar ratio of up to about 0.50, comprising intercalating a lithium salt into a granular aluminum hydroxide which has an average particle size of at least 300 microns and has been morphologically altered by compression.

8 . The process of claim 7 , wherein the granular aluminum hydroxide has a surface area of at least 3 m 2 /g.

9 . The process of claim 7 , wherein lithium is intercalated into the granular aluminum hydroxide by reacting the granular aluminum hydroxide with an aqueous solution which contains lithium salt and alkali hydroxide, optionally in the presence of alkali chloride.

10 . The process of claim 9 , wherein the lithium salt is lithium chloride, the alkali hydroxide is sodium hydroxide, and the alkali chloride, if present, is sodium chloride.

11 . The process of claim 7 where a=0.7-0.85.

12 . A process for the preparation of a granular sorbent of the formula (LiOH) a (LiX) 1-a .2Al(OH) 3 , where X is the anion moiety of a lithium salt, a=0-1, having a lithium to aluminum molar ratio of up to about 0.50, comprising reacting an aqueous solution which contains lithium salt and alkali hydroxide, optionally in the presence of alkali chloride, with granular aluminum hydroxide having an average particle size of at least 300 microns and has been morphologically altered by compression.

13 . The process as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the lithium salt is lithium chloride, the alkali hydroxide is sodium hydroxide, and the alkali chloride, if present, is sodium chloride.

14 . The process of claim 12 wherein the granular aluminum hydroxide has a surface area of at least 3 m 2 /g.

15 . The process of claim 12 , wherein a=0.7-0.85.

16 . The process of claim 1 , further comprising reacting the sorbent with an acid (HX), where X is the anion moiety of the acid, to convert LiOH in the sorbent to LiX.

17 - 18 . (canceled)

19 . The process of claim 7 , further comprising reacting the sorbent with an acid (HX), where X is the anion moiety of the acid, to convert LiOH in the sorbent to LiX.

20 .- 21 . (canceled)

22 . The process of claim 12 , further comprising reacting the sorbent with an acid (HX), where X is the anion moiety of the acid, to convert LiOH in the sorbent to LiX.

23 . The process of claim 22 , wherein the acid is HCl.

24 . The process of claim 22 , wherein the reaction of the sorbent with HX is carried out in a column.

25 - 27 . (canceled)

28 . A granular sorbent produced by the method of claim 16 .

29 . A granular sorbent produced by the method of claim 19 .

30 . A granular sorbent produced by the method of claim 22 .

31 . A process of recovering lithium values from a lithium-containing brine, which comprises contacting the lithium-containing brine with the granular sorbent of claim 28 .

32 . A process of recovering lithium values from a lithium-containing brine, which comprises contacting the lithium-containing brine with the granular sorbent of claim 29 .

33 . A process of recovering lithium values from a lithium-containing brine, which comprises contacting the lithium-containing brine with the granular sorbent of claim 30 .

Assignees

• Albemarle Corp

Inventors

• Cheng Chi Hung
• Nieman Jan
• Marus Gregory Alan

Classifications

• C01F7/78

  Compounds containing aluminium, with or without oxygen or hydrogen, and containing two or more other elements (aluminates C01F7/02; compounds containing aluminium, fluorine and alkali or alkaline earth metals C01F7/54; nitrates containing other cations besides aluminium C01F7/66; sulfides, sulfites or sulfates containing other cations besides aluminium C01F7/70 - C01F7/74) · CPC title

• C22B26/12

  Obtaining lithium · CPC title

• B01J20/3433

  of sorbents or filter aids other than those covered by B01J20/3408 - B01J20/3425 · CPC title

• B01J20/3085 Primary

  Chemical treatments not covered by groups B01J20/3007 - B01J20/3078 · CPC title

• C22B7/006

  Wet processes · CPC title