Process for production of refined lithium metal

A process for producing refined lithium metal from a lithium chemical feedstock, the process comprising:

• a) processing a lithium chemical feedstock material using an electrowinning apparatus to produce a crude lithium metal having a first purity, the electrowinning apparatus comprising
• an anolyte chamber containing a molten, anolyte material and an anode, a catholyte chamber containing a molten, catholyte material and a cathode and is separated from the anolyte chamber via a separator assembly that includes a porous membrane configured to permit metal cation migration between the anolyte chamber and the catholyte chamber;
• b) pressurizing the anolyte chamber to a first hydrostatic pressure and the catholyte chamber to a second hydrostatic pressure that is greater than the first pressure, thereby causing a flux of the catholyte material through the membrane from the catholyte chamber to the anolyte chamber;
• c) combining the crude lithium metal with a carrier material to create a lithium-rich feed alloy;
• d) introducing the lithium-rich feed alloy as a feedstock material to an electrorefining apparatus and processing the lithium-rich feed alloy using the electrorefining apparatus to separate lithium metal from the carrier material thereby producing
• i. a refined lithium metal having a second purity that is greater than the first purity and
• ii. a lithium-depleted alloy that comprises the carrier material and less lithium metal than the lithium-rich feed alloy;
• and
• e) extracting the lithium-depleted alloy from the electrorefining apparatus and recycling at least a portion of the lithium-depleted alloy to provide at least a portion of the carrier material used in step b).