Direct electrochemical extraction of lithium from ores
AssigneeThe Penn State Research Foundation
InventorsFeifei Shi, Hanrui Zhang
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Abstract
Disclosed is a method for leaching lithium via an electrochemical apparatus including a multi-functional current collector, an electrode, an electrolyte, and a lithium-bearing material, wherein the lithium-bearing material is dispersed or suspended in the electrolyte or the lithium-bearing material is coated onto the current collector. The method involves applying voltage to the current collector to leach lithium from the lithium-bearing material. The method can involve adding promoter additive into the electrolyte to boost lithium extraction within the electrochemical apparatus.
Claims12
A method for leaching lithium via an electrochemical apparatus including:
- a multi-functional current collector;
- an electrode;
- an electrolyte;
- and a lithium-bearing material, wherein the lithium-bearing material is dispersed or suspended in the electrolyte or the lithium-bearing material is coated onto the current collector, the method comprising:
- applying voltage to the current collector to leach lithium from the lithium-bearing material;
- and
- ex-situ adding an oxidant promoter to the electrolyte to increase the amount or rate of electron conduction and/or to lower the reaction potential of the electrochemical apparatus;
- wherein the lithium-bearing material includes α-spodumene, β-spodumene, lepidolite, hectorite, jadarite, petalite, eucryptite, zinnwaldite, lithiophilite, triphylite, amblygonite, Li-enriched clay, and/or Li-bearing waste stream from mining or processing of coal, coal by-product, coal mineral, oil shale, coal underclay, and/or coal overburden.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.