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.

An electrochemical method and an apparatus for extracting lithium from a solution using bipolar electrodes are provided. The apparatus adopts electrodes respectively coated with a lithium-rich electroactive material and a lithium-deficient electroactive material as end plates, which are separated by a plurality of bipolar electrodes coated with a lithium-rich electroactive material and a lithium-deficient electroactive material respectively on two sides, where the side of the bipolar electrode facing the end plate of the lithium-rich electroactive material is coated with the lithium-deficient electroactive material, and the side of the bipolar electrode facing the end plate of the lithium-deficient electroactive material is coated with the lithium-rich electroactive material. The apparatus adopts a conventional voltage, requires a small total current and a simple power supply, greatly reduced the amount of busbar required, allows for easy process control, and is suitable for industrial production.

An electrochemical method and an apparatus for extracting lithium from a solution using bipolar electrodes are provided. The apparatus adopts electrodes respectively coated with a lithium-rich electroactive material and a lithium-deficient electroactive material as end plates, which are separated by a plurality of bipolar electrodes coated with a lithium-rich electroactive material and a lithium-deficient electroactive material respectively on two sides, where the side of the bipolar electrode facing the end plate of the lithium-rich electroactive material is coated with the lithium-deficient electroactive material, and the side of the bipolar electrode facing the end plate of the lithium-deficient electroactive material is coated with the lithium-rich electroactive material. The apparatus adopts a conventional voltage, requires a small total current and a simple power supply, greatly reduced the amount of busbar required, allows for easy process control, and is suitable for industrial production.

An electrochemical deposition apparatus and method for the selective recovery of metal. The electrochemical deposition apparatus comprises a porous cathodic material, an anode, an inter-electrode region formed by the anode and cathode, and a gas release channel. The method may comprise passing a solution comprising a metal into a cavity, changing an oxidation state of a metal, and selectively depositing the metal onto a porous cathodic material. The electrochemical deposition apparatus may recover metal from metal feed in the form of metal hydroxides. The recovered metal may be from any source including, but not limited to, minerals, electronic waste, and black mass.

An electrochemical deposition apparatus and method for the selective recovery of metal. The electrochemical deposition apparatus comprises a porous cathodic material, an anode, an inter-electrode region formed by the anode and cathode, and a gas release channel. The method may comprise passing a solution comprising a metal into a cavity, changing an oxidation state of a metal, and selectively depositing the metal onto a porous cathodic material. The electrochemical deposition apparatus may recover metal from metal feed in the form of metal hydroxides. The recovered metal may be from any source including, but not limited to, minerals, electronic waste, and black mass.

The method for producing an electrolytic aluminum foil of the present disclosure is a method for producing an electrolytic aluminum foil, the method including supplying an electrolytic solution in an electrolytic cell provided with a diaphragm between an anode and a cathode and depositing an aluminum foil on a surface of the cathode by electrolysis, wherein the diaphragm is made of aluminum having a purity of 85.0% or more and has a plurality of pores having an average pore diameter of 100 to 1000 μm.

The method for producing an electrolytic aluminum foil of the present disclosure is a method for producing an electrolytic aluminum foil, the method including supplying an electrolytic solution in an electrolytic cell provided with a diaphragm between an anode and a cathode and depositing an aluminum foil on a surface of the cathode by electrolysis, wherein the diaphragm is made of aluminum having a purity of 85.0% or more and has a plurality of pores having an average pore diameter of 100 to 1000 μm.

Methods and systems for producing are disclosed. A method for producing iron, for example, comprises: providing an iron-containing ore to a dissolution subsystem comprising a first electrochemical cell; wherein the first anolyte has a different composition than the first catholyte; dissolving at least a portion of the iron-containing ore using an acid to form an acidic iron-salt solution having dissolved first Fe.sup.3+ ions; providing at least a portion of the acidic iron-salt solution to the first cathodic chamber; first electrochemically reducing said first Fe.sup.3+ ions in the first catholyte to form Fe.sup.2+ ions; transferring the formed Fe.sup.2+ ions from the dissolution subsystem to an iron-plating subsystem having a second electrochemical cell; second electrochemically reducing a first portion of the transferred formed Fe.sup.2+ ions to Fe metal at a second cathode of the second electrochemical cell; and removing the Fe metal.

Methods and systems for producing are disclosed. A method for producing iron, for example, comprises: providing an iron-containing ore to a dissolution subsystem comprising a first electrochemical cell; wherein the first anolyte has a different composition than the first catholyte; dissolving at least a portion of the iron-containing ore using an acid to form an acidic iron-salt solution having dissolved first Fe.sup.3+ ions; providing at least a portion of the acidic iron-salt solution to the first cathodic chamber; first electrochemically reducing said first Fe.sup.3+ ions in the first catholyte to form Fe.sup.2+ ions; transferring the formed Fe.sup.2+ ions from the dissolution subsystem to an iron-plating subsystem having a second electrochemical cell; second electrochemically reducing a first portion of the transferred formed Fe.sup.2+ ions to Fe metal at a second cathode of the second electrochemical cell; and removing the Fe metal.