A method recovers an electropositive metal from a metal carbonate. In the method, hydrogen and halogen are combusted to form hydrogen halide. The solid metal carbonate is converted into metal chloride by a gaseous hydrogen halide. In an electrolysis, the metal chloride is decomposed into metal and halogen. The halogen produced in the electrolysis is led out of the electrolysis for combusting. Preferably, the hydrogen halide is produced by combusting the hydrogen and the halogen and the metal carbonate is converted into metal chloride in a fluidized bed reactor. Preferably, lithium is used as the metal.

A method recovers an electropositive metal from a metal carbonate. In the method, hydrogen and halogen are combusted to form hydrogen halide. The solid metal carbonate is converted into metal chloride by a gaseous hydrogen halide. In an electrolysis, the metal chloride is decomposed into metal and halogen. The halogen produced in the electrolysis is led out of the electrolysis for combusting. Preferably, the hydrogen halide is produced by combusting the hydrogen and the halogen and the metal carbonate is converted into metal chloride in a fluidized bed reactor. Preferably, lithium is used as the metal.

Disclosed is a method for leaching lithium via an electrochemical apparatus including a multi-functional current collector, an electrode, an electrolyte, and a lithium-bearing material, wherein the lithium-bearing material is dispersed or suspended in the electrolyte or the lithium-bearing material is coated onto the current collector. The method involves applying voltage to the current collector to leach lithium from the lithium-bearing material. The method can involve adding promoter additive into the electrolyte to boost lithium extraction within the electrochemical apparatus.

Disclosed is a method for leaching lithium via an electrochemical apparatus including a multi-functional current collector, an electrode, an electrolyte, and a lithium-bearing material, wherein the lithium-bearing material is dispersed or suspended in the electrolyte or the lithium-bearing material is coated onto the current collector. The method involves applying voltage to the current collector to leach lithium from the lithium-bearing material. The method can involve adding promoter additive into the electrolyte to boost lithium extraction within the electrochemical apparatus.

Methods are proposed for fabricating highly pure lithium metal electrodes from aqueous lithium salt solutions by means of electrolysis through lithium ion selective membranes, performed at constant current densities between about 10 mAh/cm.sup.2 and about 50 mAh/cm.sup.2, and wherein the constant current is applied for a time between about 1 minute and about 60 minutes. The electrolysis is performed under a blanketing atmosphere, the blanketing atmosphere being substantially free of lithium reactive components. Methods are further proposed for vertically integrating the electrolytic fabrication of highly pure lithium metal electrodes into the production of lithium metal batteries, the fabrication of lithium electrodes and lithium metal batteries being performed in a single facility.

There are provided an apparatus and a method for producing lithium metal by electrolysis of LiCl in a diaphragmless electrolytic cell. The method and apparatus of the invention make use of a liquid-liquid separator which is at least one film coalescer or at least one centrifugal separator to coalesce or separate lithium metal from the Li metal/electrolysis medium mixture produced in the electrolytic cell. There is also provided a method for producing lithium metal from Li.sub.2O in an electrolytic cell, the method comprising feeding Li.sub.2O or feeding LiCl produced from Li.sub.2O to the electrolytic cell.

There are provided an apparatus and a method for producing lithium metal by electrolysis of LiCl in a diaphragmless electrolytic cell. The method and apparatus of the invention make use of a liquid-liquid separator which is at least one film coalescer or at least one centrifugal separator to coalesce or separate lithium metal from the Li metal/electrolysis medium mixture produced in the electrolytic cell. There is also provided a method for producing lithium metal from Li.sub.2O in an electrolytic cell, the method comprising feeding Li.sub.2O or feeding LiCl produced from Li.sub.2O to the electrolytic cell.

Various embodiments utilize selective sulfidation and/or desulfidation for such things as ore and concentrate cracking, metal separation, compound production, and recycling. Selective sulfidation can be used to selectively convert an oxide or other material in a feedstock to a sulfide or other sulfur-containing material, and selective desulfidation can be used to selectively convert a sulfide or other sulfur-containing material in a feedstock to an oxide or other material. In some cases, the material produced by such selective sulfidation/desulfidation of the feedstock can itself be novel and/or commercially valuable, while in other cases, such selective sulfidation/desulfidation can be followed by one or more processes to extract, isolate, or concentrate the converted material.

Various embodiments utilize selective sulfidation and/or desulfidation for such things as ore and concentrate cracking, metal separation, compound production, and recycling. Selective sulfidation can be used to selectively convert an oxide or other material in a feedstock to a sulfide or other sulfur-containing material, and selective desulfidation can be used to selectively convert a sulfide or other sulfur-containing material in a feedstock to an oxide or other material. In some cases, the material produced by such selective sulfidation/desulfidation of the feedstock can itself be novel and/or commercially valuable, while in other cases, such selective sulfidation/desulfidation can be followed by one or more processes to extract, isolate, or concentrate the converted material.

In some aspects, the present disclosure pertains to methods for the electrochemical production of NH.sub.3 from nitrogen gas and a hydrogen-containing molecule in an electrochemical cell that comprises a cathode, an anode and a lithium-ion-containing electrolyte disposed between the cathode and the anode. The electrochemical cell is operated under conditions such that lithium ions in the electrolyte are converted to lithium metal at the cathode, the lithium metal reacting with nitrogen gas to form Li.sub.3N, and the Li.sub.3N reacting with protons in a proton donor to form NH.sub.3, lithium ions and a deprotonated proton donor. Moreover, the proton donor has a Kamlet-Taft alpha parameter () greater than 0.7 and a Kamlet-Taft beta parameter () greater than 0.5. Other aspects of the present disclosure pertain to systems for electrochemical production of NH.sub.3.