The present disclosure relates to nanomaterial composites capable of selectively extracting lithium from a lithium-containing liquid resource when the nanomaterial composite is activated, a method of preparing the nanomaterial composites, and the use of the nanomaterial composites for the extraction and recovery of lithium.

The present disclosure relates to nanomaterial composites capable of selectively extracting lithium from a lithium-containing liquid resource when the nanomaterial composite is activated, a method of preparing the nanomaterial composites, and the use of the nanomaterial composites for the extraction and recovery of lithium.

A process for recovery of lithium ions from a lithium-bearing brine includes contacting the lithium-bearing brine with a lithium ion sieve (where that LIS includes an oxide of titanium or niobium) in a first stirred reactor to form a lithium ion complex with the lithium ion sieve, and decomplexing the lithium ion from the lithium ion sieve in a second stirred reactor to form the lithium ion sieve and an acidic lithium salt eluate.

A method for regeneration of an ion exchange material employed in a water softening or conditioning system that includes the step of contacting the ion exchange material with an aqueous process fluid to yield a regenerated ion exchange material, wherein the ion exchange material has at least one target material associated therewith. The target material includes at least one of the following: metal ions such as those that have been extracted from a source of hard water, ionically soluble organic compounds, active water borne pathogens. The aqueous process fluid comprises a compound having the general formula:

[00001]$.Math.H_x.Math.O_{\frac{\left(x-1\right)}{2}}.Math..Math.Z_y$ wherein x is an odd integer 3; wherein y is an integer between 1 and 20; and wherein Z is a polyatomic ion, a monoatomic ion, or a mixture of a polyatomic ion and a monoatomic ion;
during the contacting step, at least a portion of the target material associated with the ion exchange material is removed from association with the ion exchange material. After removal from association with the ion exchange material, the target material can be retained in the process fluid and conveyed to a suitable recovery and/or removal source as desired or required.

A method for regeneration of ion exchange material employed in a water softening or conditioning system. The method includes the step of contacting the ion exchange material with an aqueous process fluid to yield a regenerated ion exchange material. At least one target material associated with the resin is removed. The target material includes at least one of the following: metal ions such as those that have been extracted from a source of hard water, ionically soluble organic compounds, active water borne pathogens.

A system and method for the reduction of NOx and CO contaminants using an ion-exchange resin media having lower-valency ions of the transitional metal elements, such as ferrous ions, cuprous ions and/or manganese ions, such that gases containing NOx and/or CO contaminants may be passed over the media so that the contaminants are absorbed by the lower-valency ions of the transitional metal elements, the media configured so that it can be regenerated to remove the NOx and/or CO contaminants. Regeneration includes exposing the media to a heated stream of hydrogen gas or exposing the media to hydrogen ions in an electrochemical cell.

Proposed is an inorganic ion-exchanger, which is selective to lithium and constituted a non-stoichiometric compound in the form of solid particles of a polymeric aqua-oxo-hydroxo complex represented by the following general formula: H.sub.aNbO.sub.(2.5+0.5.Math.a).cZrO.sub.2.dH.sub.2O, wherein: a is a number ranging from 0.5 to 1.5, c is a number ranging from 0.01 to 1.0, and d is a number ranging from 0.1 to 2.0. The complex has a total ion exchange capacity of at least 3.5 meq/g and an ion-exchange capacity specifically to lithium of at least 2.5 meq/g. This ion-exchanger is intended for selective extraction of lithium from lithium-containing natural and industrial brines.

A system and method configured to restore ion exchange kinetic properties and purify resin is described. Degraded ion exchange kinetic properties of anion resin will eventually result in impurity slippage through resin charges. This system and method employs an acid catalyst in combination with sulfite cleaning solution to remove organic material and to protonate iron oxides for deconstruction and removal from anion resins. The cleaning solution, when applied via a cleaning vessel utilizing an eductor(s)/plenum and wedge-wire screen draw chamber, while controlling all phases of cleaning by electronic monitoring, yields complete restoration of ion exchange kinetics on usable resin. As such, the system and method provides a safe, effective, and vastly improved method for restoring anion resin kinetics and improving regeneration quality, for improved resin performance and minimizing resin replacement costs.

A system and method for the reduction of NOx and CO contaminants using an ion-exchange resin media having lower-valency ions of the transitional metal elements, such as ferrous ions, cuprous ions and/or manganese ions, such that gases containing NOx and/or CO contaminants may be passed over the media so that the contaminants are absorbed by the lower-valency ions of the transitional metal elements, the media configured so that it can be regenerated to remove the NOx and/or CO contaminants. Regeneration includes exposing the media to a heated stream of hydrogen gas or exposing the media to hydrogen ions in an electrochemical cell.

Methods, sorbent cartridges and cleaning devices are disclosed for refurbishing sorbent materials. In one implementation among multiple implementations, a medical fluid delivery method includes: providing a sorbent cartridge including H.sup.+ZP within a casing for a treatment; and after the treatment, refurbishing the H.sup.+ZP while maintained within the casing via (i) regenerating the non-disinfected H.sup.+ZP by flowing an acid solution through the casing, (ii) rinsing the regenerated H.sup.+ZP while maintained within the casing, (iii) disinfecting the regenerated and rinsed H.sup.+ZP by flowing a disinfecting agent through the casing, and (iv) rinsing the regenerated and disinfected H.sup.+ZP while maintained within the casing. Multiple batch sorbent refurbishing implementations are also disclosed.