Lithium recovery device and recovery method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9546430-B2
Application number	US-201414785219-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 14, 2014
Priority date	Apr 17, 2013
Publication date	Jan 17, 2017
Grant date	Jan 17, 2017

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

The invention claimed is:

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 immersed in a lithium-containing fluid, positioned to face the first electrode with an interval therebetween, and applied with electricity; and
a power supply device applying electricity to the first and second electrodes, and applying a negative polarity (−polarity) and a positive polarity (+polarity) to the first and second electrodes, respectively, and then, changing 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,
wherein the carrier has a passive-state film formed by degreasing the carrier in a degreasing solution,
the carrier has a chemical conversion film formed by immersing the carrier in a film solution in which sulfuric acid and chromium are mixed with each other, and
a distal end portion of the carrier is coated with a ceramic material.

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

3. 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.

4. The lithium recovery device of claim 1 , wherein a plurality of the first electrodes and a plurality of the second electrodes are disposed in alternating fashion.

5. The lithium recovery device of claim 4 , 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, and
the enhancer is a chemical comprising an element capable of allowing the manganese oxide to be fixed to the carrier and capable of attaching manganese oxide particles to each other.

6. The lithium recovery device of claim 5 , wherein the coating solution further comprises a metal oxide chelating agent.

7. The lithium recovery device of claim 5 , wherein the element of the enhancer comprises a transition metal element.

8. The lithium recovery device of claim 7 , wherein the element of the enhancer comprises at least one element selected from the group consisting of titanium, zirconium, nickel, and cobalt.

9. The lithium recovery device of claim 5 , wherein the element of the enhancer comprises a rare earth element.

10. The lithium recovery device of claim 9 , wherein the element of the enhancer comprises cerium.

11. The lithium recovery device of claim 1 , wherein the carrier comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of a stainless steel and a conductive material plated with a corrosion resistant material.

12. The lithium recovery device of claim 11 , wherein the carrier comprises the stainless steel, and wherein the stainless steel is a 300 series stainless steel.

13. The lithium recovery device of claim 11 , wherein the carrier comprises the conductive material plated with the corrosion resistant material, and wherein the corrosion resistant material is at least one metal selected from the group consisting of nickel and chromium.

14. The lithium recovery device of claim 1 , wherein the chemical conversion film of the carrier is formed by immersing the carrier in a film solution comprising 1-2 M of dichromic acid and 1-5 M of sulfuric acid at a temperature from room temperature to 75° C.

15. The lithium recovery device of claim 1 , wherein the carrier comprises an insulation film between the surface of the carrier and the adsorbent.

16. The lithium recovery device of claim 15 , wherein the insulation film comprises at least one material selected the group consisting of silica, alumina, titania, zirconia, and a coupling agent.

17. The lithium recovery device of claim 16 , wherein the insulation film comprises the coupling agent, and the coupling agent is a curing product of an organic silane compound.

18. The lithium recovery device of claim 17 , wherein the organic silane compound is at least one selected from glycidoxy propyl triethoxy silane, methyl triethoxy silane, amino propyl triethoxy silane, and imidazolpropyl triethoxy silane.

19. A lithium recovery device comprising:
a first electrode comprising
a carrier,
an adsorbent coating comprising manganese oxide, wherein the adsorbent coating is on the carrier;
a passive-state film;
a chemical conversion film; and
a ceramic material coating on a distal end portion of the carrier;

a second electrode configured to be immersed in a lithium-containing fluid, to be positioned to face the first electrode, and to be applied with electricity; and
a power supply device configured to apply electricity to the first and second electrodes, wherein the power supply is configured to apply a negative polarity (−polarity) and a positive polarity (+polarity) to the first electrode and the second electrode, respectively, and 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.

Assignees

• Korea Inst Geoscience & Mineral Resources

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

  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