Method for continuous monitoring of extraction process

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025235800-A1
Application number	US-202218698466-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 12, 2022
Priority date	Oct 12, 2021
Publication date	Jul 24, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

Continuous monitoring of density in lithium extraction and recovery using inertial density sensors is described herein. Lithium recovery methods and processes using inertial density sensors are also described herein. A method comprises detecting a first density of an aqueous material using an inertial density sensor; performing an operation on the aqueous material to change a lithium concentration of the aqueous material; after performing the operation, detecting a second density of the aqueous material using an inertial density sensor; comparing the first density with the second density; and determining a change in concentration of lithium in the aqueous material based on the comparison.

First claim

1 . A method, comprising:
detecting a first density of an aqueous material using an inertial density sensor; performing an operation on the aqueous material to change a lithium concentration of the aqueous material; after performing the operation, detecting a second density of the aqueous material using an inertial density sensor; comparing the first density with the second density; and determining a change in concentration of lithium in the aqueous material based on the comparison.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising detecting mass flow rate of the aqueous material using the inertial density sensor.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the inertial density sensor used to detect the first density is a Coriolis device, the inertial density sensor used to detect the second density is a Coriolis device, or both.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining lithium concentration of the first aqueous material using a calibration relation with the first density, the second density, or both.

5 . The method of claim 4 , further comprising using a non-inertial sensor to detect concentration of a non-lithium species in the aqueous material.

6 - 9 . (canceled)

10 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising varying a flow rate of the aqueous lithium-bearing material based on the comparison of the first and second densities.

11 . (canceled)

12 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising determining concentration of lithium in the aqueous lithium-bearing material based on the first density and the concentration of the non-lithium species in the aqueous lithium-bearing material.

13 . A method, comprising:
extracting lithium from an aqueous lithium-bearing material in an extraction stage to form a lithium extract; transforming the lithium extract into a lithium product in a processing stage; and using an inertial density sensor to control operation of the extraction stage, the processing stage, or both.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the extraction stage uses a solid lithium-selective medium to withdraw lithium ions from the aqueous lithium-bearing material to form a lithium-depleted material, the inertial density sensor is a first inertial density sensor coupled to the aqueous lithium-bearing material to determine a first density of the aqueous lithium-bearing material, a second inertial density sensor is coupled to the lithium-depleted material to determine a second density of the lithium-depleted material, and a difference in density between the aqueous lithium-bearing material and the lithium-depleted material is used to control operation of the extraction stage, the processing stage, or both.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the extraction stage uses an eluent to remove the lithium ions from the lithium-selective medium to form the lithium extract, a third inertial density sensor is used to determine a third density of the eluent, a fourth inertial density sensor is used to determine a fourth density of the lithium extract, and a difference in density between the eluent and the lithium extract is used to control operation of the extraction stage, the processing stage, or both.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the processing stage includes a concentrator that removes water from the lithium extract to form a lithium concentrate, and a third inertial density sensor is coupled to the lithium concentrate to determine lithium concentration of the lithium concentrate.

17 . A method of extracting lithium, comprising:
providing an aqueous material containing lithium to a direct lithium extraction unit; extracting lithium from the aqueous material containing lithium using a lithium-selective medium to yield a lithium extract and a lithium-depleted material; determining a first density of the aqueous material containing lithium using an inertial density sensor; determining a second density of the lithium-depleted material using an inertial density sensor; comparing the first density with the second density; and operating the direct lithium extraction unit based on the comparison.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the inertial density sensor used to determine the first density and the inertial density sensor used to determine the second density are different sensors.

19 . The method of claim 17 , wherein operating the direct lithium extraction unit based on the comparison comprises adjusting a temperature, pressure, flow rate, or composition of the aqueous material containing lithium, or moving speed of the lithium-selective medium, based on the comparison.

20 . The method of claim 17 , wherein operating the direct lithium extract unit based on the comparison comprises discontinuing flow of the aqueous material containing lithium at a time determined based on the comparison, and after discontinuing flow of the aqueous material, flowing an eluent to the direct lithium extraction unit to yield the lithium extract.

21 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising determining a third density of an intermediate aqueous material of the direct lithium extraction unit using an inertial density sensor.

22 . The method of claim 21 , further comprising operating the direct lithium extraction unit based on the third density.

23 . The method of claim 21 , wherein operating the direct lithium extraction unit based on the comparison comprises regenerating the lithium-selective medium.

24 . (canceled)

Assignees

• Schlumberger Technology Corp

Inventors

• Shampine Rod
• Perroni Dominic Vincent

Classifications

• G01N9/32

  by using flow properties of fluids, e.g. flow through tubes or apertures · CPC title

• G01F1/84

  Coriolis or gyroscopic mass flowmeters · CPC title

• C22B26/12

  Obtaining lithium · CPC title

• C22B3/24

  by adsorption on solid substances, e.g. by extraction with solid resins · CPC title

• B01D15/424

  Elution mode · CPC title