Method of using oxygenated metal compounds for selective extraction of lithium salts
Assignee1s1 Energy, Inc.
InventorsSukanta Bhattacharyya, Daniel Sobek
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Abstract
A mobile phase including a lithium salt flows through a stationary phase including an oxygenated metal compound with affinity to the lithium salt through a Lewis acid-Lewis base interaction so that the oxygenated metal compound captures the lithium salt through the Lewis acid-Lewis base interaction. An eluent flows through the stationary phase to release the lithium salt captured by the oxygenated metal compound into the eluent. The eluent includes a Lewis base or a Lewis acid that disrupts the Lewis acid-Lewis base interaction between the lithium salt and the oxygenated metal compound. The eluent including the released lithium salt is collected after the eluent flows through the stationary phase.
Claims18
A method comprising:
- flowing a mobile phase comprising a lithium salt through a stationary phase comprising an oxygenated metal compound with affinity to the lithium salt through a Lewis acid-Lewis base interaction so that the oxygenated metal compound captures the lithium salt through the Lewis acid-Lewis base interaction;
- flowing an eluent through the stationary phase to release the lithium salt captured by the oxygenated metal compound into the eluent, the eluent comprising a Lewis base or a Lewis acid that disrupts the Lewis acid-Lewis base interaction between the lithium salt and the oxygenated metal compound;
- and
- collecting the eluent including the released lithium salt after the eluent flows through the stationary phase.
A method of extracting a lithium salt from a material sample, comprising:
- forming an oxygenated metal/lithium salt complex comprising the lithium salt and an oxygenated metal compound with affinity to the lithium salt;
- and
- releasing the lithium salt from the oxygenated metal/lithium salt complex;
- wherein the forming the oxygenated metal/lithium salt complex comprises combining the oxygenated metal compound and the lithium salt through a Lewis acid-Lewis base interaction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.