Methods and compositions for recovery of lithium from liquid solutions with nanoparticles

A lithium adsorbing medium for recovering lithium ions from a lithium-ion containing liquid, the lithium adsorbing medium comprising:

• a nanoparticle including a ferrous material;
• a polystyrene coating a surface of the nanoparticle;
• and
• a crown ether attached to the polystyrene.

A method for recovery of lithium ions from a lithium-ion containing liquid, the method comprising:

• coating a nanoparticle with a styrene monomer;
• polymerizing the styrene monomer to form a polystyrene-coated nanoparticle;
• attaching a crown ether to the polystyrene-coated nanoparticle to form a lithium adsorbing medium;
• exposing the lithium-ion containing liquid to the lithium adsorbing medium to form a lithium-rich adsorbing medium and a lithium-depleted liquid;
• and
• extracting the lithium ion from the lithium-rich adsorbing medium to form an extracted lithium ion and a recycled lithium-adsorbing medium;
• wherein the nanoparticle includes a non-magnetic iron.

A method for recovery of lithium ions from a lithium-ion containing liquid, the method comprising:

• coating a nanoparticle with a styrene monomer;
• polymerizing the styrene monomer to form a polystyrene-coated nanoparticle;
• attaching a crown ether to the polystyrene-coated nanoparticle to form a lithium adsorbing medium;
• exposing the lithium-ion containing liquid to the lithium adsorbing medium to form a lithium-rich adsorbing medium and a lithium-depleted liquid;
• and
• extracting the lithium ion from the lithium-rich adsorbing medium to form an extracted lithium ion and a recycled lithium-adsorbing medium;
• wherein extracting the lithium ion from the lithium-rich adsorbing medium includes treating the lithium-rich adsorbing medium with a weak acid.

A method for recovery of lithium ions from a lithium-ion containing liquid, the method comprising:

• coating a nanoparticle with a styrene monomer;
• polymerizing the styrene monomer to form a polystyrene-coated nanoparticle;
• attaching a crown ether to the polystyrene-coated nanoparticle to form a lithium adsorbing medium;
• exposing the lithium-ion containing liquid to the lithium adsorbing medium to form a lithium-rich adsorbing medium and a lithium-depleted liquid;
• extracting the lithium ion from the lithium-rich adsorbing medium to form an extracted lithium ion and a recycled lithium-adsorbing medium;
• and
• separating the extracted lithium ion from the recycled lithium-adsorbing medium.

A method for recovery of lithium ions from a lithium-ion containing liquid, the method comprising:

• coating a nanoparticle with a styrene monomer;
• polymerizing the styrene monomer to form a polystyrene-coated nanoparticle;
• attaching a crown ether to the polystyrene-coated nanoparticle to form a lithium adsorbing medium;
• exposing the lithium-ion containing liquid to the lithium adsorbing medium to form a lithium-rich adsorbing medium and a lithium-depleted liquid;
• and
• extracting the lithium ion from the lithium-rich adsorbing medium to form an extracted lithium ion and a recycled lithium-adsorbing medium;
• wherein the extracting includes exposing the lithium-rich adsorbing medium to a water containing a carbon dioxide.

A method for recovery of lithium ions from a lithium-ion containing liquid, the method comprising:

• coating a nanoparticle with a styrene monomer;
• polymerizing the styrene monomer to form a polystyrene-coated nanoparticle;
• attaching a crown ether to the polystyrene-coated nanoparticle to form a lithium adsorbing medium;
• exposing the lithium-ion containing liquid to the lithium adsorbing medium to form a lithium-rich adsorbing medium and a lithium-depleted liquid;
• and
• extracting the lithium ion from the lithium-rich adsorbing medium to form an extracted lithium ion and a recycled lithium-adsorbing medium;
• wherein the polymerizing includes adding a free radical initiator to the styrene monomer;
• and
• wherein the free radical initiator includes at least one of benzoyl peroxide, di-tert-butyl peroxide, a methyl radical source, a benzoyloxyl radical, methyl ethyl ketone peroxide, acetone peroxide, a peroxydisulfate salt, halogen peroxide, an azo compound such as azobisisobutyronitrile, and combinations thereof.