This invention relates to a method for the preparation of lithium carbonate from lithium chloride containing brines. The method can include a silica removal step, capturing lithium chloride, recovering lithium chloride, supplying lithium chloride to an electrochemical cell and producing lithium hydroxide, contacting the lithium hydroxide with carbon dioxide to produce lithium carbonate.

This invention relates to a method for the preparation of lithium carbonate from lithium chloride containing brines. The method can include a silica removal step, capturing lithium chloride, recovering lithium chloride, supplying lithium chloride to an electrochemical cell and producing lithium hydroxide, contacting the lithium hydroxide with carbon dioxide to produce lithium carbonate.

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 mobile phase including a lithium salt flows through a stationary phase including an oxygenated metal compound with affinity to the lithium salt through a Lewis acid-Lewis base interaction so that the oxygenated metal compound captures the lithium salt through the Lewis acid-Lewis base interaction. An eluent flows through the stationary phase to release the lithium salt captured by the oxygenated metal compound into the eluent. The eluent includes a Lewis base or a Lewis acid that disrupts the Lewis acid-Lewis base interaction between the lithium salt and the oxygenated metal compound. The eluent including the released lithium salt is collected after the eluent flows through the stationary phase.

A mobile phase including a lithium salt flows through a stationary phase including an oxygenated metal compound with affinity to the lithium salt through a Lewis acid-Lewis base interaction so that the oxygenated metal compound captures the lithium salt through the Lewis acid-Lewis base interaction. An eluent flows through the stationary phase to release the lithium salt captured by the oxygenated metal compound into the eluent. The eluent includes a Lewis base or a Lewis acid that disrupts the Lewis acid-Lewis base interaction between the lithium salt and the oxygenated metal compound. The eluent including the released lithium salt is collected after the eluent flows through the stationary phase.

An aqueous or organic solvent medium for additive manufacturing technologies comprising a nanocrystal comprising a functional group. The nanocrystal material is selected from a metal oxide, fluoride, metallic, carbon-based, semiconducting quantum dot or combinations thereof. The functional group comprises primary amine, carboxylic acid, lactam ring, polyamide polymer chain or group used to attach a similar functional group.

An aqueous or organic solvent medium for additive manufacturing technologies comprising a nanocrystal comprising a functional group. The nanocrystal material is selected from a metal oxide, fluoride, metallic, carbon-based, semiconducting quantum dot or combinations thereof. The functional group comprises primary amine, carboxylic acid, lactam ring, polyamide polymer chain or group used to attach a similar functional group.

Provided is a method for producing a lithium-containing solution that prevents the dissolution of the whole lithium manganese oxide while maintaining the efficiency of an elution step. The method for producing a lithium-containing solution comprises performing an adsorption step of contacting a lithium adsorbent obtained from lithium manganese oxide with a low lithium-containing liquid for adsorption to give post-adsorption lithium manganese oxide, an elution step of contacting the post-adsorption lithium manganese oxide with an acid solution to give a lithium-containing solution with residual manganese, and a manganese oxidation step of oxidating manganese to give a lithium-containing solution with a suppressed manganese concentration, performed in this order. The acid solution is a 0.5 mol/L or more and 4.0 mol/L or less hydrochloric acid solution. According to the production method, in the elution step, the dissolution of the whole lithium manganese oxide can be suppressed while maintaining the efficiency of exchange reaction between cations including Li.sup.+ and H.sup.+. Thus, the repeated use of the lithium adsorbent becomes possible.

Provided is a method for producing a lithium-containing solution that prevents the dissolution of the whole lithium manganese oxide while maintaining the efficiency of an elution step. The method for producing a lithium-containing solution comprises performing an adsorption step of contacting a lithium adsorbent obtained from lithium manganese oxide with a low lithium-containing liquid for adsorption to give post-adsorption lithium manganese oxide, an elution step of contacting the post-adsorption lithium manganese oxide with an acid solution to give a lithium-containing solution with residual manganese, and a manganese oxidation step of oxidating manganese to give a lithium-containing solution with a suppressed manganese concentration, performed in this order. The acid solution is a 0.5 mol/L or more and 4.0 mol/L or less hydrochloric acid solution. According to the production method, in the elution step, the dissolution of the whole lithium manganese oxide can be suppressed while maintaining the efficiency of exchange reaction between cations including Li.sup.+ and H.sup.+. Thus, the repeated use of the lithium adsorbent becomes possible.