A lithium metal electrode is manufactured according to a process that bonds a layer of lithium metal to a conductive substrate on one side and to an ion selective membrane on another side. The lithium metal electrode may be integrated into lithium metal batteries. The inventive lithium metal electrode may be manufactured by a process involving electrolysis of lithium ions from an aqueous lithium salt solution through an ion selective membrane, carried out under a blanketing atmosphere having no more than 10 ppm of non-metallic elements, the electrolysis being performed at a constant current between about 10 mA/cm.sup.2 and about 50 mA/cm.sup.2, and wherein the constant current is applied for a time between about 1 minute and about 60 minutes.

A membrane-stacked electrolytic bath for lithium extraction from salt lakes by electrochemical intercalation/deintercalation includes a positioning supporting plate as well as a first compressing plate, a first rubber gasket, at least one electrochemical intercalation/deintercalation unit, a second rubber gasket, and a second compressing plate which are sequentially arranged in an overlapped manner; a compressing apparatus for abutting against the second compressing plate is arranged on one side of the second compressing plate to enable peripheral edges of the first compressing plate, the first rubber gasket, the electrochemical intercalation/deintercalation unit, the second rubber gasket, and the second compressing plate to be sealed; the first compressing plate is provided with water outlet pipes communicated with the electrochemical intercalation/deintercalation unit; and the second compressing plate is provided with water inlet pipes communicated with the electrochemical intercalation/deintercalation unit.

A membrane-stacked electrolytic bath for lithium extraction from salt lakes by electrochemical intercalation/deintercalation includes a positioning supporting plate as well as a first compressing plate, a first rubber gasket, at least one electrochemical intercalation/deintercalation unit, a second rubber gasket, and a second compressing plate which are sequentially arranged in an overlapped manner; a compressing apparatus for abutting against the second compressing plate is arranged on one side of the second compressing plate to enable peripheral edges of the first compressing plate, the first rubber gasket, the electrochemical intercalation/deintercalation unit, the second rubber gasket, and the second compressing plate to be sealed; the first compressing plate is provided with water outlet pipes communicated with the electrochemical intercalation/deintercalation unit; and the second compressing plate is provided with water inlet pipes communicated with the electrochemical intercalation/deintercalation unit.

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.

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.

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 Li ion recovery member and a Li recovery device may prevent occurrence of breakage of a permselective membrane and implement stable Li ion recovery for a long period of time even when a size of a Li recovery device is increased. The Li ion recovery member may include: a permselective membrane including a Li ion conductor made of an inorganic substance; electrodes; and a reticular elastic body, in which the electrodes are provided on at least one main surface side of the permselective membrane, at least one electrode of the electrodes is a porous electrode or a membrane electrode, and the porous electrode or the membrane electrode is sandwiched between the reticular elastic body and the permselective membrane. The Li recovery device may include a Li ion recovery electrolytic cell including the Li ion recovery member and configured to recover Li ions by electrodialysis.

A Li ion recovery member and a Li recovery device may prevent occurrence of breakage of a permselective membrane and implement stable Li ion recovery for a long period of time even when a size of a Li recovery device is increased. The Li ion recovery member may include: a permselective membrane including a Li ion conductor made of an inorganic substance; electrodes; and a reticular elastic body, in which the electrodes are provided on at least one main surface side of the permselective membrane, at least one electrode of the electrodes is a porous electrode or a membrane electrode, and the porous electrode or the membrane electrode is sandwiched between the reticular elastic body and the permselective membrane. The Li recovery device may include a Li ion recovery electrolytic cell including the Li ion recovery member and configured to recover Li ions by electrodialysis.

This electrolytic solution contains magnesium chloride, lithium chloride, and an aprotic solvent. In the electrolytic solution, the concentration at which the total of magnesium chloride and lithium chloride are dissolved with respect to 1 mol of an aprotic solvent is 0.09 mol or more. In addition, in the electrolytic solution, the concentration at which magnesium chloride is dissolved with respect to 1 mol of the aprotic solvent is 0.045 mol or more.