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US 12,623,913 B2Granted
Process for selective adsorption and recovery of lithium from natural and synthetic brines
AssigneeILiAD IP COMPANY, LLC
InventorsCharles R. Marston, Michael J. Garska
Life of this patent
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Abstract
This invention relates generally to a process for selective adsorption and recovery of lithium from natural and synthetic brines, and more particular to a process for recovering lithium from a natural or synthetic brine solution by passing the brine solution through a lithium selective adsorbent in a continuous countercurrent adsorption and desorption circuit.
Claims40
A continuous countercurrent adsorption and desorption process for recovery of an enhanced lithium product solution from a lithium-containing brine solution, said process comprising the cyclical and sequential steps of:
- pumping fluid flow through a continuous countercurrent adsorption and desorption circuit comprising an adsorption displacement zone, an adsorption loading zone, an entrainment rejection zone, and an elution zone, each of said zones comprising one or more adsorbent beds or columns having a lithium selective adsorbent;
- said process further comprising:
- a) recycling a portion of a lithium product eluate from the elution zone to the adsorption displacement zone and displacing residual feed brine from the one or more adsorbent beds or columns in the adsorption displacement zone to form a displacement feed brine;
- b) pumping the displacement feed brine from the adsorption displacement zone and the lithium-containing brine solution through the adsorption loading zone to adsorb lithium in the displacement feed brine and the lithium-containing brine solution on the lithium selective adsorbent in the one or more adsorbent beds or columns and form a lithium-depleted brine raffinate;
- c) pumping the lithium-depleted brine raffinate from the adsorption loading zone through the entrainment rejection zone and displacing a latent eluate solution from the one or more adsorbent beds or columns in said entrainment rejection zone using a portion of said lithium-depleted brine raffinate;
- d) pumping said displaced latent eluate solution and a portion of an eluant solution through said elution zone to desorb a portion of the lithium on the lithium selective adsorbent in the one or more adsorbent beds or columns and form said lithium product eluate;
- and
- e) collecting a portion of said lithium product eluate as an enhanced lithium product solution.
5 more elements
A continuous countercurrent adsorption and desorption process for recovery of an enhanced lithium product solution from a lithium-containing brine solution, said process comprising:
- 1) pumping fluid flow cyclically and sequentially through a continuous countercurrent adsorption and desorption circuit comprising a multi-port valve system having a plurality of process zones, said process zones comprising an adsorption displacement zone, an adsorption loading zone, an entrainment rejection zone, and an elution zone, each of said process zones comprising one or more adsorbent beds or columns having a lithium selective adsorbent, said pumping fluid flow through said adsorption displacement zone, said adsorption loading zone, said entrainment rejection zone, and said elution zone is countercurrent relative to predetermined indexing of said adsorbent beds or columns through said adsorption displacement zone, said adsorption loading zone, said entrainment rejection zone, and said elution zone, introducing the lithium-containing brine solution into the adsorption loading zone;
- said process further comprising:
- a) recycling a portion of a lithium product eluate from the elution zone to the adsorption displacement zone and displacing residual feed brine solution from the one or more adsorbent beds or columns in the adsorption displacement zone to form a displacement feed brine
- b) pumping said displacement feed brine from the adsorption displacement zone and the lithium-containing brine solution through the adsorption loading zone to adsorb a portion of lithium in said displacement feed brine and the lithium-containing brine solution on the lithium selective adsorbent in the one or more adsorbent beds or columns and form a lithium-depleted brine raffinate;
- c) pumping the lithium-depleted brine raffinate from the adsorption loading zone through the entrainment rejection zone and displacing a latent eluate solution from the one or more adsorbent beds or columns in said entrainment rejection zone using a portion of said lithium-depleted brine raffinate;
- d) pumping said displaced latent eluate solution and a portion of an eluant solution through said elution zone to strip a portion of the lithium adsorbed on the lithium selective adsorbent in the one or more adsorbent beds or columns and form a lithium product eluate;
- and
- e) collecting a portion of said lithium product eluate as an enhanced lithium product solution.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.