The present invention relates to the production of lithium from liquid resources such as natural and synthetic brines, leachate solutions from clays and minerals, and recycled products.

Described herein is an improved conversion of nitrous oxide (N.sub.2O) present as a by-product in a chemical process to NO.sub.x which can be further converted to a useful compound or material, such as nitric acid.

Described herein is an improved conversion of nitrous oxide (N.sub.2O) present as a by-product in a chemical process to NO.sub.x which can be further converted to a useful compound or material, such as nitric acid.

An object of the invention is to provide a jig electrolytic stripper that can sufficiently remove palladium adhered to the current-conducting portion of a plating jig, that can remove palladium adhered to the insulating-material-coated portion of the jig, and that exhibits reduced erosion of the metal of the current-conducting portion of the jig. The jig electrolytic stripper comprises the following components (A) to (C): (A) at least one member selected from the group consisting of nitric acid and salts thereof, (B) at least one member selected from the group consisting of ammonia, ammonium salts, ethylene amine compounds, alkyl diamine compounds, and amino acids, and (C) a bromide.

An object of the invention is to provide a jig electrolytic stripper that can sufficiently remove palladium adhered to the current-conducting portion of a plating jig, that can remove palladium adhered to the insulating-material-coated portion of the jig, and that exhibits reduced erosion of the metal of the current-conducting portion of the jig. The jig electrolytic stripper comprises the following components (A) to (C): (A) at least one member selected from the group consisting of nitric acid and salts thereof, (B) at least one member selected from the group consisting of ammonia, ammonium salts, ethylene amine compounds, alkyl diamine compounds, and amino acids, and (C) a bromide.

A system suitable for oxidizing ammonia with oxygen in the presence of catalysts is described. The system includes a reactor equipped with at least one supply line for a reactant gas mixture and at least one discharge line for a process gas; a catalyst comprising at least one transition metal oxide that is not an oxide of a platinum metal; and a device for adjusting a molar ratio of oxygen to ammonia of less than or equal to 1.75 mol/mol in the reactant gas mixture by mixing an oxygen-containing gas stream having an O.sub.2 content of <20% by volume with a chosen amount of ammonia. The oxygen-containing gas stream is produced by a device for: diluting an air stream with a gas stream comprising less than 20% by volume oxygen; or depleting oxygen from an oxygen-containing gas mixture, preferably from air; or by a combination thereof.

A system suitable for oxidizing ammonia with oxygen in the presence of catalysts is described. The system includes a reactor equipped with at least one supply line for a reactant gas mixture and at least one discharge line for a process gas; a catalyst comprising at least one transition metal oxide that is not an oxide of a platinum metal; and a device for adjusting a molar ratio of oxygen to ammonia of less than or equal to 1.75 mol/mol in the reactant gas mixture by mixing an oxygen-containing gas stream having an O.sub.2 content of <20% by volume with a chosen amount of ammonia. The oxygen-containing gas stream is produced by a device for: diluting an air stream with a gas stream comprising less than 20% by volume oxygen; or depleting oxygen from an oxygen-containing gas mixture, preferably from air; or by a combination thereof.

The present invention relates to the production of lithium from liquid resources such as natural and synthetic brines, leachate solutions from clays and minerals, and recycled products.

Known catalyst systems for the catalytic combustion of ammonia to form nitrogen oxides consist of a plurality of catalyst gauze layers which are knitted, woven or braided from platinum-based precious metal wire, which form a catalyst package when arranged after one another when viewed in a fresh gas flow direction. In order to provide a catalyst system on this basis for use in a medium-pressure system, with which a yield of the main product NO comparable to the industry standard can be achieved despite the reduced precious metal use, according to the invention, the catalyst package is formed from a front assembly with three catalyst gauzes with a first average mass per unit area and a downstream assembly of catalyst gauze layers arranged after the front assembly and having a second average mass per unit area, wherein the average mass per unit area of the front assembly has a short weight in the region of 1.5% to 29% in relation to the second average mass per unit area, and the first average mass per unit area lies in the regions of 410 to 30 g/m.sup.2 and the second average mass per unit area lies in the region of 540 to 790 g/m.sup.2.

Known catalyst systems for the catalytic combustion of ammonia to form nitrogen oxides consist of a plurality of catalyst gauze layers which are knitted, woven or braided from platinum-based precious metal wire, which form a catalyst package when arranged after one another when viewed in a fresh gas flow direction. In order to provide a catalyst system on this basis for use in a medium-pressure system, with which a yield of the main product NO comparable to the industry standard can be achieved despite the reduced precious metal use, according to the invention, the catalyst package is formed from a front assembly with three catalyst gauzes with a first average mass per unit area and a downstream assembly of catalyst gauze layers arranged after the front assembly and having a second average mass per unit area, wherein the average mass per unit area of the front assembly has a short weight in the region of 1.5% to 29% in relation to the second average mass per unit area, and the first average mass per unit area lies in the regions of 410 to 30 g/m.sup.2 and the second average mass per unit area lies in the region of 540 to 790 g/m.sup.2.