Composition for the recovery of lithium values from brine and process of making/using said composition

[0002] This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/387,178, filed Feb. 13, 1995, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,599,516, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/065,586, filed May 24, 1993, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,389,349.

[0003] Lithium values are recovered from lithium-containing brines as a lithium salt using altered polycrystalline hydrated alumina.

[0004] Previous methods of extracting lithium values from brines which contain lithium are disclosed in the following U.S. Pat. Nos.: 4,116,856; 4,116,858; 4,159,311; 4,221,767; 4,291,001; 4,347,327; 4,348,295; 4,348,296; 4,348,297; 4,376,100; 4,381,349; 4,430,311; 4,461,714; 4,472,362; and 4,477,367. These patents pertain, in various ways, to creating lithium aluminates within the interstices or pores of ion exchange resins, or on other substrates, porous and non-porous. Microcrystalline lithium aluminates formed within ion exchange resins are useful in selectively removing lithium values from Li-containing brines.

[0005] Over the years, it has been found that ion exchange resin compositions were often fouled by substances in the brine, such as hydrocarbon contaminants, that rendered the ion exchange resin incapable of rejuvenation requiring re-manufacture of resin.

[0006] In Lithium—Current Applications in Science, Medicine and Technology, R. O. Bach Editor, published by John Wiley and Sons, 1985, there is an article on pp. 29-34, authored by W. C. Bauman, J. L. Burba, III and J. M. Lee, titled “Structure And Operation Of Dow's New Lithium-Selective Ion-Exchange Resin” containing some background information of relevance to the subject matter of this present disclosure.

[0007] We have now, unexpectedly, found it preferable to infuse LiOH into the polycrystalline hydrated alumina pellets, herein referred to as Al(OH)₃, by reacting it, in the presence of water, with LiOH in the absence of NaCl or other salt. We find that infusion of LiOH into Al(OH)₃pellets proceeds with maintenance of pellet integrity up to and beyond 0.2 mol fraction, and up to 0.33 mol fraction of LiOH in the so-formed LiOH/Al(OH)₃. Furthermore, we find that having initially prepared the intercalation in the absence of NaCl or other salt, the pellets can then be converted to the LiCl form with aqueous HCl and used for the specific recovery of LiCl from brine without pellet breakage. Our prior work with intercalating LiCl directly into the crystals to form LiCl/Al(OH)₃was limited to amounts of up to about 0.2 mol fraction of LiCl in order to avoid breaking up the pellets. Also, we have now determined that these so-altered polycrystalline alumina pellets containing more than 0.2 mol fraction, up to 0.33 mol fraction, of LiCl in the LiCl/Al(OH)₃produced in the presently described method, offer significant improvements in costs and efficiency for recovering LiCl from brine compared to the material identified hereinabove as being of relevance in “Structure And Operation of Dow's New Lithium-Selective Ion-Exchange Resin.”

[0008] This invention comprises an altered polycrystalline hydrated alumina composition, its preparation, and its use for selectively recovering lithium values from brines which contain lithium ions.

[0009] The composition comprises pellets, each of said pellets consisting essentially of an integral mass of polycrystalline hydrated alumina pellets morphologically altered by the infusion therein of LiOH (lithium hydroxide) which creates active lithium-specific sites within the crystal layers of the alumina, essentially without. decrepitation of the layered structure. The composition is prepared by adding an aqueous LiOH solution to a polycrystalline hydrated alumina (especially Gibbsite) in an amount to provide up to 0.33 mol fraction of LiOH in the polycrystalline LiOH/Al(OH)₃.

[0010] The so-prepared infused alumina pellets are used in the process of removing lithium values from brine by contacting it with a solution of LiX (where X is nitrate, sulfate, bicarbonate, halide, or other acid salt moiety, especially chlorine) to convert the LiOH to LiX. The resulting LiX/Al(OH)₃, having a mol fraction of LiX of up to 0.33, especially from above about 0.2 and up to 0.33, is a beneficial improvement in comparison with the previously attained loadings of up to about 0.2 mol fraction of LiX disclosed in our above-identified related application.

[0011] In this disclosure the LiX of greatest interest is LiCl, and the brines of greatest interest, besides seawater, are subterranean brines, such as that from the Smackover formation which runs largely through Arkansas and into Texas.

[0012] In preparing the unique compositions of this invention, there is selected a polycrystalline hydrated alumina of pellet size which is suitable for use in a column without encountering excessive packing and blinding which interferes with efficient flow of liquids through a bed of the pellets. We find it preferable to use polycrystalline pellets of hydrated alumina known as crystalline Gibbsite, such as that which is commercially available as LaRoche H-30TM, Reynolds Metal RH-30TM, and Alcoa C-30TM. Other polycrystalline pellets can be used, such as those made from Bayerite, Norstrandite or Bauxite.

[0013] The process known as the Bayer process is used to manufacture polycrystalline hydrated alumina from various alumina-containing ores or minerals (usually bauxite) to make a coarse product which is suitable for use in this invention. Preferably the particle size of the pellets is not smaller than about 140 mesh, U.S. standard sieve size, and can be as large as about 10 mesh U.S. standard sieve size.

[0014] In general, the altered polycrystalline pellets are prepared by adding an aqueous LiOH solution to a polycrystalline hydrated alumina, herein Al(OH)₃, esp. Gibbsite, in an amount to provide LiOH/Al(OH)₃containing, preferably, from about 0.2, up to maximum of 0.33 mol fraction of LiOH as an intercalant. This is readily done in a vessel at an ambient temperature in the range of 0° C. to 25° C. for 24 to 48 hours while adding enough pure water to keep the pellets submerged.

[0015] Preparation of pellets for use in the recovery of LiCl from brine consists in the neutralization of the LiOH/Al(OH)₃pellets with dilute HCl in excess H₂O, preferably in the presence of NaHCO₃as a buffer at pH of about 5 to 6. This neutralization step can be done at ambient temperature, and does not normally require more than a few minutes of good mixing, depending on the size of the mixing vessel. The buffer is to assure that the acidity does not become excessive.

[0016] We have determined that the present invention offers improvements in costs and efficiency for recovering lithium values from brines. The polycrystalline alumina pellets of the present invention are so inexpensive, compared with ion exchange resins, that it is more cost effective to discard spent alumina or convert it to other uses than to repeatedly rejuvenate it as an infused alumina. Also, the preparation of the lithium-capturing pellets of the present invention is relatively simple and easily managed in-situ in a vessel in which it is to be used, though it can be prepared in one vessel and then transferred to another vessel for use. A more concentrated and more pure LiX (where X is a halide ion, usually chloride) product can be obtained from the Li-containing brine, as compared to the known use of ion exchange resins.

[0017] Furthermore the present invention distinguishes over the related invention of our above cross-referenced application by not requiring an initial loading of LiX into the hydrated alumina compound in which pellet breakage was found to be encountered at loadings exceeding 0.2 mol per mol of Al(OH)₃.

[0018] Once the hydrated alumina has been infused with an initial amount of LiOH and neutralized with an acid to provide active LiX sites of up to 0.33 mol fraction, the LiX is washed out with water to remove much of the “loadings” of the active sites and the “unloaded” sites are efficiently used to take up more LiX from brine, and used again a plurality of times before becoming exhausted.

[0019] Altered polycrystalline hydrated alumina pellets are prepared by a process comprising substantially filling the void volume of the layered polycrystalline structure, with a predetermined amount of an aqueous LiOH solution so as to have the LiOH infused (“loaded”) into the polycrystalline hydrated alumina pellets in an amount to form LiOH/Al(OH)₃containing more than about 0.2 mol fraction of the LiOH intercalant in the LiOH/Al(OH)₃crystal structure. At 25° C. infusion of the LiOH into the crystals layers of the pellets is complete in a period of 24-48 hours. The infusion progresses into the hydrated alumina pellets with a slight swelling in particle size without fracture.

[0020] We have also found that the LiOH/Al(OH)₃pellets so-formed may be suspended in water at about 25° C. and neutralized with HCl slowly in a period of 1-2 hours at 5-7 pH to produce LiCl/Al(OH)₃without fracture. The alteration results in infused active sites of LiOH within layers of an appreciable amount of the crystalline layers of the hydrated alumina, but not to an extent that is enough to cause any substantial breaking apart of the polycrystalline structure The LiOH/Al(OH)₃so-produced is neutralized with an aqueous acid, HCl, to convert the LiOH in the alumina crystals to LiCl to obtain a mol fraction of LiCl in the crystals of up to 0.33, preferably a mol fraction in the range of about 0.2 to 0.33. After water-washing to remove most of the infused LiCl from the alumina crystals, the “vacant” LiCl sites so-produced will accept additional LiCl from a lithium-containing brine. This “new” amount of LiCl can then be reduced in amount (unloaded) by water-washing, leaving enough of the sites to prevent collapse of the altered crystals. The “unloaded” sites are available for extracting more LiCl from LiCl-containing brines and the loading and unloading of LiCl can be done a plurality of times before the efficiency of the polycrystalline alumina becomes significantly reduced.

[0021] 156 grams of +140 mesh LaRoche H-30™ Hydrated Alumina is dry mixed with 25.2 grams LiOH.H₂O. The mixture is placed in a small stainless steel pot and 125 grams of distilled H₂O is added. The pot is covered and held at room temperature, 21° C. for 48 hours. 125 grams of distilled H₂O is added. With gentle stirring of the batch, about 110 grams of 20% HCl is slowly added over a period of about 2 hours, maintaining the pH above 3.5. The fluid supernatant contains less that 1% LiCl and has pH of 5-6. The settled volume of solids is 150 ml. The LiCl/Al(OH)₃pellet bed has a mol fraction of LiCl of 0.23 and contains 4.0 mols LiCl per liter of settled (operating) bed.

[0022] 150 ml of LiCl/Al(OH)₃pellets made as in above example are used in removing lithium values from a synthetic 26% NaCl brine which contains 2100 mg/liter lithium chloride. Operation is with 2 NaCl resaturation streams.

[0023] The bed is prepared by placing the LiCl/Al(OH)₃pellets in a jacketed glass column 1-inch in diameter and 2 feet high with a water jacket heated to 80° C. Run water upflow at a rate to give 50% bed expansion for 30 minutes. Follow the steps below.

[0024] 1.) run 1900 ml brine upflow at rate to give 50% bed expansion.

[0025] 2.) allow bed to settle and drain supernatant brine to bed top.

[0026] 3.) run downflow 52.5 ml 26% NaCl to displace the inter-pellet brine. The effluent is saved for recycle to step 1.) in the next cycle.

[0027] 4.) run downflow 172.5 ml of of 0.76 mol/liter LiCl saturated with NaCl. The effluent is evaporated and crystallized to provide NaCl for resaturation of the two reflux streams.

[0028] 5.) run downflow 90 ml of 2.0 mol/liter LiCl saturated with NaCl.

[0029] The effluent is saved for recycle to 4.) in next cycle.

[0030] 6.) run downflow 52.5 ml of 0.76 mol/liter LiCl. The effluent is recycled to 5.) in next cycle.

[0031] 7.) run downflow 76.5 ml of 0.76 mol/liter LiCl. 39 ml of effluent is saved as product, and 37.5 ml is resaturated with NaCl and is fed to 5.) in next cycle.

[0032] 8.) run down flow 211.5 ml of water. 129 ml of effluent is fed to 6.) and 7.) in next cycle and 82.5 ml of effluent is resaturated with NaCl and is fed to 4.) in next cycle.

[0033] 9.) run downflow 52.5 ml brine. Effluent is returned to water storage.

[0034] 10.) run 1900 ml brine upflow at rate to give 50% bed expansion. This step 10.), the same as 1.) starts the next cycle.

[0035] Each cycle produces 0.52 mol LiCl per liter of pellet bed at a concentration of 2.0 mol/liter with the use of 1.06 liters of water.

[0036] The so-formed polycrystalline pellets are used in selectively removing lithium from lithium-containing brine in a process comprising repeated loading and unloading of the active sites, using water or water which contains some LiX for the unloading steps, and LiX-containing concentrated brine for the loading steps. The unloaded LiX is saved.

[0037] While the descriptions disclosed herein are directed primarily to recovering LiCl from NaCl brine, which is preferred and most plentiful, other metal salt brines which contain LiCl, such as. CaCl₂, MgCl₂, and KCl, can demonstrate operability in accordance with this invention. The LiCl/Al(OH)₃pellets, when immersed in a chloride brine, absorb and desorb only LiCl and H₂O; NaCl, MgCl₂, CaCl₂, KCl, SrCl₂, and trace amounts of boric and silicic acids and organic matter frequently found in natural brines are excluded from the interior structure of the polycrystalline pellets. Thus a bed of LiCl/Al(OH)₃pellets operating in the recovery of LiCl from brine contains only two phases: the hydrated polycrystalline LiCl/Al(OH)₃phase and the inter-pellet solution phase. There is no intra-pellet solution phase containing NaCl, CaCl₂, etc. as exists in ion exchange resins. Hence the rinse of excess brine from a bed of LiCl/Al(OH)₃pellets involves a simple displacement of the inter-pellet brine solution by water. Such a displacement may be achieved rapidly at any practical operating temperature with virtually no brine dilution and with elimination of all soluble brine components (other than LiCl) from the LiCl/Al(OH)₃pellets. Comparably, the reverse step of displacing the excess water regenerant by a new cycle of brine is rapid and complete at any temperature without dilution of the brine. The displacement requires a flow of fluid of about 38% of a bed volume. Operation of 0.23 mol fraction LiCl/Al(OH)₃pellets with a LiCl content of 4.0 mol/liter of bed in the recovery of LiCl from a saturated NaCl brine containing 2100 mg of LiCl per liter using NaCl resaturation and reflux produces 2.0 molar LiCl at a rate of 0.54 mol LiCl per liter of bed per cycle using 1 liter of H₂O for each 13 liters of brine and 7 lbs. NaCl per 1 lb. LiCl produced

[0038] The LiCl/Al(OH)₃pellets produce more concentrated LiCl at a higher production rate with the use of less water than the lithium-selective ion exchange resin identified hereinabove. The polycrystalline alumina pellets of the present invention are so inexpensive, compared with ion exchange resins, that it is more cost effective to discard spent alumina or convert it to other uses than to repeatedly rejuvenate it as an infused alumina. Also, the preparation of the LiCl/Al(OH)₃pellets of the present invention is relatively simple and easily managed in situ in a vessel in which it is to be used, though it can be prepared in one vessel and then transferred to another vessel for use.

[0039] One preferred manner of mixing the LiOH with the alumina is to “dry-mix” Li(OH):H₂O and polycrystalline hydrated alumina pellets (e.g. LaRoche H-30 Hydrated Alumina) in the desired mol fraction ratio and add water to cover the solids and allowing this suspension to stand for 24 to 48 hours at about room temperature. This room temperature permits a more “gentle” infusion of the LiOH into the crystal layers to achieve a higher loading without causing decrepitation of the crystal layer structure. The suspension of LiOH/Al(OH)₃pellets is neutralized with dil. HCl acid to 5-6 pH to form the desired LiCl/Al(OH)₃pellets and then dried, if desired, before being used in recovering lithium values from lithium-containing brine. Thusly, pellets are made with a mol fraction of LiCl in LiCl/Al(OH)₃greater than that in the prior invention which was limited to having not more than 0.2 mol fraction of LiCl per mol of LiCl/Al(OH)₃to avoid deleterious lattice expansion of the crystal structure which can cause pellet breakage.

[0040] There are a number of brines in various places in the world which are relatively high in the concentration of LiX, especially where X represents a halogen, especially chloride. When the brine is evaporated seawater, then there is a high concentration of NaCl, with all other metal halide values being of lower concentration. Other brines often are found to have more LiX and other metal salts than found in evaporated seawater. An artificial brine can also be prepared by leaching, either roasted or unroasted spodumene, a lithium-containing mineral, with a salt solution.

[0041] Particular embodiments other than the above may be employed by others, upon learning of this invention, without departing from the inventive concept expressed in this disclosure. Our invention is limited only by the concept embodied in the claims which follow.