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.

Provided is a method for producing a lithium-containing solution that allows increasing a content rate of lithium in a solution after an eluting step, and suppressing an amount of an eluted solution used in a process after the eluting step, thus suppressing production cost of lithium.

A method for producing a lithium-containing solution includes an adsorption step of bringing a lithium adsorbent obtained from lithium manganese oxide in contact with a low lithium-containing solution to obtain post-adsorption lithium manganese oxide, an eluting step of bringing the post-adsorption lithium manganese oxide in contact with an acid-containing solution to obtain an eluted solution, and a manganese oxidation step of oxidating manganese to obtain a lithium-containing solution with a suppressed manganese concentration. The adsorption step, the eluting step, and the manganese oxidation step are performed in this order, and the acid-containing solution includes the eluted solution with acid added. The method allows the usage amount of the acid in the eluting step to be suppressed, the content rate of lithium in the eluted solution after the eluting step to be increased, and thus the production cost of the lithium-containing solution to be suppressed.

Provided is a method for producing a lithium-containing solution that allows increasing a content rate of lithium in a solution after an eluting step, and suppressing an amount of an eluted solution used in a process after the eluting step, thus suppressing production cost of lithium.

A method for producing a lithium-containing solution includes an adsorption step of bringing a lithium adsorbent obtained from lithium manganese oxide in contact with a low lithium-containing solution to obtain post-adsorption lithium manganese oxide, an eluting step of bringing the post-adsorption lithium manganese oxide in contact with an acid-containing solution to obtain an eluted solution, and a manganese oxidation step of oxidating manganese to obtain a lithium-containing solution with a suppressed manganese concentration. The adsorption step, the eluting step, and the manganese oxidation step are performed in this order, and the acid-containing solution includes the eluted solution with acid added. The method allows the usage amount of the acid in the eluting step to be suppressed, the content rate of lithium in the eluted solution after the eluting step to be increased, and thus the production cost of the lithium-containing solution to be suppressed.

Lithium metal oxides may be regenerated under ambient conditions from materials recovered from partially or fully depleted lithium-ion batteries. Recovered lithium and metal materials may be reduced to nanoparticles and recombined to produce regenerated lithium metal oxides. The regenerated lithium metal oxides may be used to produce rechargeable lithium ion batteries.

Lithium metal oxides may be regenerated under ambient conditions from materials recovered from partially or fully depleted lithium-ion batteries. Recovered lithium and metal materials may be reduced to nanoparticles and recombined to produce regenerated lithium metal oxides. The regenerated lithium metal oxides may be used to produce rechargeable lithium ion batteries.

A process (10) for the production of lithium hydroxide, the process comprising the steps of: (i) Causticising lithium chloride (12) with sodium hydroxide (16) to produce a lithium hydroxide product; (ii) Collecting the solids resulting from the causticisation of step (i) and filtering (22) same; (iii) The filtered solids from step (ii) are passed to a heating step (32) in which anhydrous lithium hydroxide is produced; (iv) Filtering (34) the anhydrous lithium hydroxide product of step (iii); and (v) Quenching the anhydrous lithium hydroxide of step (iv) with water to produce lithium hydroxide monohydrate crystals.

In this disclosure, a process of recycling acid, base and the salt reagents required in the Li recovery process is introduced. A membrane electrolysis cell which incorporates an oxygen depolarized cathode is implemented to generate the required chemicals onsite. The system can utilize a portion of the salar brine or other lithium-containing brine or solid waste to generate hydrochloric or sulfuric acid, sodium hydroxide and carbonate salts. Simultaneous generation of acid and base allows for taking advantage of both chemicals during the conventional Li recovery from brines and mineral rocks. The desalinated water can also be used for the washing steps on the recovery process or returned into the evaporation ponds. The method also can be used for the direct conversion of lithium salts to the high value LiOH product. The method does not produce any solid effluent which makes it easy-to-adopt for use in existing industrial Li recovery plants.

In this disclosure, a process of recycling acid, base and the salt reagents required in the Li recovery process is introduced. A membrane electrolysis cell which incorporates an oxygen depolarized cathode is implemented to generate the required chemicals onsite. The system can utilize a portion of the salar brine or other lithium-containing brine or solid waste to generate hydrochloric or sulfuric acid, sodium hydroxide and carbonate salts. Simultaneous generation of acid and base allows for taking advantage of both chemicals during the conventional Li recovery from brines and mineral rocks. The desalinated water can also be used for the washing steps on the recovery process or returned into the evaporation ponds. The method also can be used for the direct conversion of lithium salts to the high value LiOH product. The method does not produce any solid effluent which makes it easy-to-adopt for use in existing industrial Li recovery plants.

A method for preparing lithium concentrate from natural lithium-bearing brines was developed. The brine is first subjected to purification from the suspended solids, then filtered through a static layer of a granulated sorbent based on LiCl.2Al(OH).sub.3.mH.sub.2O, where m=3-5, to obtain a primary lithium concentrate. The process is carried out in sorption-desorption units consisting of 4 columns, two of which are in the process of sorption of lithium chloride from the brine, one column is in the process of washing the sorbent saturated with lithium chloride from the brine, and one column is in the process of lithium chloride desorption. The primary lithium concentrate is converted to a secondary lithium concentrate by concentration in evaporative pools or reverse osmotic concentration-desalination. The secondary lithium concentrate is used for further production of lithium chloride or lithium carbonate.

A method for preparing lithium concentrate from natural lithium-bearing brines was developed. The brine is first subjected to purification from the suspended solids, then filtered through a static layer of a granulated sorbent based on LiCl.2Al(OH).sub.3.mH.sub.2O, where m=3-5, to obtain a primary lithium concentrate. The process is carried out in sorption-desorption units consisting of 4 columns, two of which are in the process of sorption of lithium chloride from the brine, one column is in the process of washing the sorbent saturated with lithium chloride from the brine, and one column is in the process of lithium chloride desorption. The primary lithium concentrate is converted to a secondary lithium concentrate by concentration in evaporative pools or reverse osmotic concentration-desalination. The secondary lithium concentrate is used for further production of lithium chloride or lithium carbonate.