Hydrocarbon and sulfide removal in direct aqueous extraction

A method of recovering target ions from an aqueous source, the method comprising:

• reducing a concentration of organic species in a stream derived from the aqueous source to form an extraction feed;
• reducing a concentration of sulfide species in the extraction feed to yield a clean extraction feed, wherein reducing the concentration of the sulfide species comprises at least one of displacing the sulfide species using a gas or withdrawing the sulfide species using withdrawal material in an adsorption-desorption withdrawal process;
• extracting target ions from the clean extraction feed, or a stream derived from the clean extraction feed, using direct aqueous extraction in an extraction stage to yield an extract, wherein the direct aqueous extraction uses an ion exchange process, an adsorption-desorption extraction process, or an electrochemical separation process;
• and
• routing the extract, a stream derived from the extract, or both, to an impurity removal stage to reduce concentration of one or more hardness species, one or more transition metals, one or more divalent impurities, monovalent impurities, or a combination thereof.

A method of recovering target ions from an aqueous source, the method comprising:

• reducing a concentration of sulfide species and removing bulk oil, dispersed oil, free oil, polishing oil, or any combination thereof, in a stream obtained from the aqueous source to form an extraction feed, wherein reducing the concentration of the sulfide species comprises at least one of displacing the sulfide species using a gas or withdrawing the sulfide species using withdrawal material in an adsorption-desorption withdrawal process;
• extracting target ions from the extraction feed, or a stream derived from the extraction feed, using an adsorption-desorption extraction process;
• and
• routing the extract, a stream derived from the extract, or both, to an impurity removal stage to reduce concentration of one or more hardness species, one or more transition metals, one or more divalent impurities, monovalent impurities, or a combination thereof.