Process and system for lithium production
AssigneeIcsip Pty Ltd
InventorRichard James Hunwick
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Abstract
A process and system are disclosed for producing a lithium product from a solution comprising lithium nitrate. The solution comprising lithium nitrate can be obtained by reacting a lithium-containing metal silicate with nitric acid. The process and system comprise subjecting the solution comprising lithium nitrate to a first thermal treatment procedure (in one or more heated vessels) in which water and nitric acid (when present) are removed, and whereby a resultant lithium nitrate-rich crystal slurry is heated to produce a molten liquid. The process and system also comprise passing the molten liquid to a second thermal treatment procedure (in a further-heated vessel) in which the molten liquid is heated to substantially decompose lithium nitrate to lithium oxide.
Claims24
A process for extracting lithium and aluminium from a lithium-containing aluminosilicate mineral, the process comprising the sequential steps of:
- mixing the lithium-containing aluminosilicate mineral with nitric acid, thereby forming a mixture;
- subjecting the mixture to a leaching process such that the lithium and the aluminium are leached into an aqueous phase, thereby forming a leach slurry comprising a leach liquor and a leached mineral, wherein the leach liquor comprises the lithium and the aluminium;
- passing the leach slurry through a solid-liquid separation stage in which the leach liquor is separated from the leached mineral;
- and
- subjecting the leach liquor to an aluminium precipitation stage in which the aluminium therein is precipitated, said aluminium precipitation stage comprises a thermal treatment comprising heating the leach liquor to cause aluminium to auto-precipitate therefrom.
A process for extracting lithium and aluminium from a lithium-containing aluminosilicate mineral, the process comprising the sequential steps of:
- mixing the lithium-containing aluminosilicate mineral with nitric acid, thereby forming a mixture;
- subjecting the mixture to a leaching process whereby the lithium and the aluminium are leached into an aqueous phase, thereby forming a leach slurry comprising a leach liquor and a leached mineral, wherein the leach liquor comprises the lithium and the aluminium;
- passing the leach slurry through a solid-liquid separation stage in which the leach liquor is separated from the leached mineral;
- and
- subjecting the leach liquor to an aluminium precipitation stage in which aluminium therein is precipitated, said aluminium precipitation stage comprising:
- a thermal treatment, said thermal treatment comprising heating the leach liquor to cause aluminium to auto-precipitate therefrom;
- and
- one or more pH adjustment stages, wherein in each of said one or more pH adjustment stages, a pH of the leach liquor is raised by adding an alkali to the leach liquor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.