Electrochemical extraction of target cations from complex resources

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025361639-A1
Application number	US-202318875051-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 16, 2023
Priority date	Jun 16, 2022
Publication date	Nov 27, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a method of extracting and isolating a target cation from precursors containing a mixture of cation species.

First claim

We claim:

1 . A method of extracting and isolating a target cation comprising:
(i) providing feed electrolyte to a water-splitting reactor comprising an anode and cathode; (ii) electrochemically producing an aqueous acid solution; (iii) providing the aqueous acid solution and a precursor comprising the target cation to a decomplexation tank, and decomplexing the precursor with the acid solution to form a decomplexed solution; and (iv) separating the target cation from the decomplexed solution.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the precursor comprises one or more salts, minerals, brines, electronic components, battery components, industrial waste streams, mine tailings, seawater, or any combination thereof.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the precursor comprises a salt.

4 . The method of claim 2 or 3 , wherein the precursor comprises a brine.

5 . The method of any one of claims 2-4 , wherein the precursor comprises a mineral.

6 . The method of any one of claims 1-5 , wherein the precursor comprises the target cation paired with an anion selected from halide, oxide, sulfate, sulfite, nitrate, nitrite, chlorate, chlorite, perchlorate, and any combination thereof.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the precursor comprises the target cation paired with a halide.

8 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the precursor comprises the target cation paired with an oxide.

9 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the precursor comprises the target cation paired with a sulfate.

10 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the precursor comprises the target cation paired with a nitrate.

11 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the precursor comprises the target cation paired with a nitrite.

12 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the precursor comprises the target cation paired with a chlorate.

13 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the precursor comprises the target cation paired with a chlorite.

14 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the precursor comprises the target cation paired with a perchlorate.

15 . The method of any one of claims 1-14 , wherein the precursor comprises the target cation paired with one or more anions selected from halide, oxide, sulfate, sulfite, nitrate, nitrite, chlorate, chlorite, and perchlorate.

16 . The method of any one of claims 1-15 , wherein the target cation is a cation of a metal selected from groups 1-13, lanthanide, and actinide.

17 . The method of any one of claims 1-16 , wherein the target cation is selected from a cation of Li, Na, K, Ca, Mg, Co, Mn, Ni, Fe, Al, and any combination thereof.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the target cation is Li + .

19 . The method of any one of claims 1-18 , wherein the water-splitting reactor comprises an acidic electrolyte and an alkaline electrolyte.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the acidic electrolyte flows around or through the anode.

21 . The method of claim 19 or 20 , wherein the alkaline electrolyte flows around or through the cathode.

22 . The method of any one of claims 19-21 , wherein the acidic and alkaline electrolytes are separated by a dividing membrane selected from a porous diaphragm, an ion exchange membrane, or a bipolar membrane.

23 . The method of claim 22 , wherein the acidic and alkaline electrolytes are separated by a porous diaphragm.

24 . The method of claim 22 , wherein the acidic and alkaline electrolytes are separated by an ion exchange membrane.

25 . The method of claim 22 , wherein the acidic and alkaline electrolytes are separated by a bipolar membrane.

26 . The method any one of claims 1-25 , wherein the decomplexed solution comprises a salt of the target cation.

27 . The method of any one of claims 1-26 , wherein the aqueous acid solution comprises HCl, HNO 3 , H 2 SO 4 , HClO 4 , an organic acid or any combination thereof.

28 . The method of claim 27 , wherein the aqueous acid solution comprises HCl.

29 . The method of claim 27 , wherein the aqueous acid solution comprises HNO 3 .

30 . The method of claim 27 , wherein the aqueous acid solution comprises H 2 SO 4 .

31 . The method of claim 27 , wherein the aqueous acid solution comprises HClO 4 .

32 . The method of claim 27 , wherein the aqueous acid solution comprises an organic acid.

33 . The method of claim 27 , wherein the aqueous acid solution comprises a combination of acids selected from HCl, HNO 3 , H 2 SO 4 , HClO 4 , and an organic acid.

34 . The method of any one of claims 1-33 , wherein step (ii) further comprises electrochemically producing an aqueous base solution.

35 . The method of claim 34 , wherein the aqueous base solution comprises a hydroxide salt of the target cation.

36 . The method of any one of claims 1-35 , wherein H 2 is produced at the cathode of the electrolysis reactor.

37 . The method of any one of claims 1-36 , wherein O 2 is produced at the anode of the electrolysis reactor.

38 . The method of any one of claims 1-37 , wherein Cl 2 is produced at the anode of the electrolysis reactor.

39 . The method of any one of claims 1-38 , wherein step (iii) further comprises at least one of leaching and decomposing the precursor.

40 . The method of any one of claims 1-39 , wherein the decomplexed solution comprises the target cation and at least one non-target metal cation.

41 . The method of any one of claims 1-40 , wherein at least one non-target metal cation is selected from a cation of Na, K, Ca, Mg, Mn, Co, Ni, Fe, Al, or any combination thereof.

42 . The method of claim 41 , wherein at least one non-target metal cation is a cation of Na (e.g., Na + ).

43 . The method of claim 41 , wherein at least one non-target metal cation is a cation of K (e.g., K + ).

44 . The method of claim 41 , wherein at least one non-target metal cation is a cation of Ca (e.g., Ca 2+ ).

45 . The method of claim 41 , wherein at least one non-target metal cation is a cation of Mg (e.g., Mg 2+ ).

46 . The method of claim 41 , wherein at least one non-target metal cation is a cation of Mn (e.g., Mn 2+ ).

47 . The method of claim 41 , wherein at least one non-target metal cation is a cation of Co (e.g., Co 2+ or Co 3+ ).

48 . The method of claim 41 , wherein at least one non-target metal cation is a cation of Ni (e.g., Ni 2+ ).

49 . The method of claim 41 , wherein at least one non-target metal cation is a cation of Fe (e.g., Fe 2+ or Fe 3+ ).

50 . The method of claim 41 , wherein at least one non-target metal cation is a cation of Al (e.g., Al 3+ ).

51 . The method of any one of claims 1-50 , further comprising at least one of heating, stirring, mechanically agitating, and ultrasonicating the decomplexed solution.

52 . The method of any one of claims 1-51 , further comprising adding water or a salt to the decomplexed solution, wherein the salt comprises at least one of LiCl, LiNO 3 , Li 2 SO 4 , LiClO 4 , NaCl, NaNO 3 , Na 2 SO 4 , N

Assignees

• Univ California

Inventors

• Sant Gaurav N
• Jassby David
• Chen Xin
• Simonetti Dante

Classifications

• C25C7/06

  Operating or servicing · CPC title

• C25C1/10

  of chromium or manganese · CPC title

• C25C1/08

  of nickel or cobalt · CPC title

• C25B1/26

  Chlorine; Compounds thereof (by simultaneous production of alkali metal hydroxides and chlorine, oxyacids or salts of chlorine C25B1/34) · CPC title

• C25B1/04

  by electrolysis of water · CPC title