The present invention relates to a lithium compound manufacturing method comprising the steps of heat treatment of lithium-containing ore; roasting the heat-treated ore with sulfuric acid to prepare an acid product; mixing the acid product with leaching water to prepare a leachate; purifying the leachate; and adding a phosphorus supply material and a basic material to the purified leachate to obtain a solid lithium phosphate.

The present invention relates to recovery of lithium from liquid resources to produce lithium solutions while limiting impurity precipitation in the lithium solutions.

The present invention relates to recovery of lithium from liquid resources to produce lithium solutions while limiting impurity precipitation in the lithium solutions.

A microwave induced solvothermal method to prepare lithium thiophosphate composites including α-Li.sub.3PS.sub.4 and crystalline Li.sub.7P.sub.3S.sub.11 is provided. The method is scaleable to commercial size production.

A microwave induced solvothermal method to prepare lithium thiophosphate composites including α-Li.sub.3PS.sub.4 and crystalline Li.sub.7P.sub.3S.sub.11 is provided. The method is scaleable to commercial size production.

Systems and methods using solar evaporation to preconcentrate lithium containing brines to at or near lithium saturation, followed by a separation processes to separate lithium from impurities. A separated impurity stream is recycled to a point in the evaporation sequence where conditions are favorable for their precipitation and removal or disposed in a separate evaporation pond or reinjected underground, while a lower impurity stream is transferred to one or more of the removal location, to a subsequent pond in the sequence, or to a lithium plant or concentration facility. Further concentration of lithium by evaporation can then take place because impurities are removed thus eliminating lithium losses due to co-precipitation and achieving significantly higher concentrations of lithium.

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.

In a method for recovering an active metal of a lithium secondary battery, a sulfuric acid solution is added to a lithium metal composite oxide so as to prepare a sulfated active material solution. A transition metal is extracted from the sulfated active material solution. A lithium precursor is recovered by adding a lithium extracting agent to the solution remaining after the transition metal has been extracted from the sulfated active material solution. In the method, the amount of impurities is reduced, and sulfuric acid and the neutralizing agent can be recycled so that a high-yield lithium precursor recovery is enabled.