Process for recovery of lithium from brine

A process for recovery of lithium ions from a lithium-bearing brine, the process comprising:

• contacting the lithium-bearing brine with a lithium ion sieve for less than about one hour in a first reactor to form a lithium ion complex with the lithium ion sieve;
• separating the lithium ion complex with the lithium ion sieve from the brine with a solid/liquid separation device;
• contacting the lithium ion complex with the lithium ion sieve with water before decomplexing in a second reactor;
• and
• decomplexing lithium ions from the lithium ion sieve in the second reactor to form an acidic lithium salt eluate solution separated from the lithium ion sieve;
• separating the lithium ion sieve from the acidic lithium salt eluate solution with a solid/liquid separation device;
• and
• contacting the lithium ion sieve with water after decomplexing in the second reactor to obtain a regenerated lithium ion sieve and a dilute acid water wash;
• wherein the lithium ion sieve comprises an oxide of titanium or niobium;
• wherein a pH of the first reactor is maintained at a constant value through addition of an alkali;
• wherein the decomplexing is performed by elution using an acid;
• wherein an average contact time of the lithium ion complex with the lithium ion sieve and the acid is less than 1 hour;
• wherein a concentration of the acid is maintained at a constant value through additions of said acid;
• and
• wherein the concentration of the acid is less than 0.1 M.