Method and apparatus for electrochemical ion exchange

An apparatus for electrochemical extraction of lithium, comprising:

• a stack comprising a plurality of repeat units, each repeat unit comprising a compartment containing a lithium-selective electrode and a multivalent cation-selective electrode, and an electrical pathway connecting the lithium-selective electrode and the multivalent cation-selective electrode;
• a source of lithium-rich fluid;
• a source of lithium-poor fluid;
• and
• a flow-switching element able to direct fluid from either the source of lithium-rich fluid or the source of lithium-poor fluid to the compartments within the stack.

A method for electrochemical extraction of lithium, comprising:

• providing an electrochemical cell comprising a compartment containing a lithium-selective electrode and a multivalent cation-selective electrode;
• at a first time, causing current to flow from the lithium-selective electrode to the multivalent cation-selective electrode while flowing a lithium-rich fluid through the compartment;
• and
• at a second time, causing current to flow from the multivalent cation-selective electrode to the lithium-selective electrode while flowing a lithium-poor fluid through the compartment.

A method for electrochemical extraction of lithium, comprising:

• providing an electrochemical cell comprising a compartment containing a lithium-selective electrode and a multivalent cation-selective electrode;
• at a first time, flowing a lithium-rich fluid through the compartment, incorporating lithium ions from the lithium-rich fluid into the lithium-selective electrode, and removing multivalent cations from the multivalent cation-selective electrode into the lithium-rich fluid;
• and
• at a second time, flowing a lithium-poor fluid through the compartment, removing lithium ions from the lithium-selective electrode into the lithium-poor fluid, and incorporating multivalent cations from the lithium-poor fluid into the multivalent cation-selective electrode.

An apparatus for electrochemical extraction of target monovalent ion, comprising:

• a compartment containing a target monovalent ion-selective electrode and a multivalent cation-selective electrode;
• an electrical pathway connecting the target monovalent ion-selective electrode and the multivalent cation-selective electrode;
• a source of target monovalent ion-rich fluid;
• a source of target monovalent ion-poor fluid;
• and
• a flow-switching element able to direct fluid from either the source of target monovalent ion-rich fluid or the source of target monovalent ion-poor fluid to the compartment.

An apparatus for electrochemical extraction of target monovalent ion, comprising:

• a stack comprising a plurality of repeat units, each repeat unit comprising a compartment containing a target monovalent ion-selective electrode and a multivalent cation-selective electrode, and an electrical pathway connecting the target monovalent ion-selective electrode and the multivalent cation-selective electrode;
• a source of target monovalent ion-rich fluid;
• a source of target monovalent ion-poor fluid;
• and
• a flow-switching element able to direct fluid from either the source of target monovalent ion-rich fluid or the source of target monovalent ion-poor fluid to the compartments within the stack.

A method for electrochemical extraction of target monovalent ion, comprising:

• providing an electrochemical cell comprising a compartment containing a target monovalent ion-selective electrode and a multivalent cation-selective electrode;
• at a first time, causing current to flow from the target monovalent ion-selective electrode to the multivalent cation-selective electrode while flowing a target monovalent ion-rich fluid through the compartment;
• and
• at a second time, causing current to flow from the multivalent cation-selective electrode to the target monovalent ion-selective electrode while flowing a target monovalent ion-poor fluid through the compartment.

A method for electrochemical extraction of target monovalent ion, comprising:

• providing an electrochemical cell comprising a compartment containing a target monovalent ion-selective electrode and a multivalent cation-selective electrode;
• at a first time, flowing a target monovalent ion-rich fluid through the compartment, incorporating target monovalent ion ions from the target monovalent ion-rich fluid into the target monovalent ion-selective electrode, and removing multivalent cations from the multivalent cation-selective electrode into the target monovalent ion-rich fluid;
• and
• at a second time, flowing a target monovalent ion-poor fluid through the compartment, removing target monovalent ion ions from the target monovalent ion-selective electrode into the target monovalent ion-poor fluid, and incorporating multivalent cations from the target monovalent ion-poor fluid into the multivalent cation-selective electrode.

An apparatus for electrochemical extraction of lithium, comprising:

• a compartment containing a lithium-selective electrode and a monovalent cation-selective electrode, wherein the monovalent cation is not lithium;
• an electrical pathway connecting the lithium-selective electrode and the monovalent cation-selective electrode;
• a source of lithium-rich fluid;
• a source of lithium-poor fluid;
• and
• a flow-switching element able to direct fluid from either the source of lithium-rich fluid or the source of lithium-poor fluid to the compartment.

A method for electrochemical extraction of target monovalent ion, comprising:

• providing an electrochemical cell comprising a compartment containing a target monovalent ion-selective electrode and a non-target monovalent cation-selective electrode;
• at a first time, flowing a target monovalent ion-rich fluid through the compartment, incorporating target monovalent ion ions from the target monovalent ion-rich fluid into the target monovalent ion-selective electrode, and removing non-target monovalent cations from the non-target monovalent cation-selective electrode into the target monovalent ion-rich fluid;
• and
• at a second time, flowing a target monovalent ion-poor fluid through the compartment, removing target monovalent ion ions from the target monovalent ion-selective electrode into the target monovalent ion-poor fluid, and incorporating non-target monovalent cations from the target monovalent ion-poor fluid into the non-target monovalent cation-selective electrode.

A method for electrochemical extraction of lithium, comprising:

• providing an electrochemical cell comprising a compartment containing a lithium-selective electrode and a monovalent cation-selective electrode, wherein the monovalent cation is not lithium;
• at a first time, causing current to flow from the lithium-selective electrode to the monovalent cation-selective electrode while flowing a lithium-rich fluid through the compartment;
• and
• at a second time, causing current to flow from the monovalent cation-selective electrode to the lithium-selective electrode while flowing a lithium-poor fluid through the compartment.

A method for electrochemical extraction of lithium, comprising:

• providing an electrochemical cell comprising a compartment containing a lithium-selective electrode and a monovalent cation-selective electrode, wherein the monovalent cation is not lithium;
• at a first time, flowing a lithium-rich fluid through the compartment, incorporating lithium ions from the lithium-rich fluid into the lithium-selective electrode, and removing monovalent cations from the monovalent cation-selective electrode into the lithium-rich fluid;
• and
• at a second time, flowing a lithium-poor fluid through the compartment, removing lithium ions from the lithium-selective electrode into the lithium-poor fluid, and incorporating monovalent cations from the lithium-poor fluid into the monovalent cation-selective electrode.

An apparatus for electrochemical extraction of target monovalent ion, comprising:

• a compartment containing a target monovalent ion-selective electrode and a non-target monovalent cation-selective electrode;
• an electrical pathway connecting the target monovalent ion-selective electrode and the multivalent cation-selective electrode;
• a source of target monovalent ion-rich fluid;
• a source of target monovalent ion-poor fluid;
• and
• a flow-switching element able to direct fluid from either the source of target monovalent ion-rich fluid or the source of target monovalent ion-poor fluid to the compartment.

An apparatus for electrochemical extraction of target monovalent ion, comprising:

• a stack comprising a plurality of repeat units, each repeat unit comprising a compartment containing a target monovalent ion-selective electrode and a non-target monovalent cation-selective electrode, and an electrical pathway connecting the target monovalent ion-selective electrode and the non-target monovalent cation-selective electrode;
• a source of target monovalent ion-rich fluid;
• a source of target monovalent ion-poor fluid;
• and
• a flow-switching element able to direct fluid from either the source of target monovalent ion-rich fluid or the source of target monovalent ion-poor fluid to the compartments within the stack.

A method for electrochemical extraction of target monovalent ion, comprising:

• providing an electrochemical cell comprising a compartment containing a target monovalent ion-selective electrode and a non-target monovalent cation-selective electrode;
• at a first time, causing current to flow from the target monovalent ion-selective electrode to the non-target monovalent cation-selective electrode while flowing a target monovalent ion-rich fluid through the compartment;
• and
• at a second time, causing current to flow from the non-target monovalent cation-selective electrode to the target monovalent ion-selective electrode while flowing a target monovalent ion-poor fluid through the compartment.

An apparatus for electrochemical extraction of lithium, comprising:

• a stack comprising a plurality of repeat units, each repeat unit comprising a compartment containing a lithium-selective electrode and a monovalent cation-selective electrode, and an electrical pathway connecting the lithium-selective electrode and the monovalent cation-selective electrode, wherein the monovalent cation is not lithium;
• a source of lithium-rich fluid;
• a source of lithium-poor fluid;
• and
• a flow-switching element able to direct fluid from either the source of lithium-rich fluid or the source of lithium-poor fluid to the compartments within the stack.