CPC C09K 5/10 (2013.01) [B01J 20/08 (2013.01); C01B 33/26 (2013.01); C01D 3/04 (2013.01); C01D 15/00 (2013.01); C01F 7/46 (2013.01); C02F 9/00 (2013.01); C09K 5/048 (2013.01); C22B 3/14 (2013.01); C22B 13/00 (2013.01); C22B 19/00 (2013.01); C22B 26/00 (2013.01); E21B 43/25 (2013.01); C02F 1/26 (2013.01); C02F 1/281 (2013.01); C02F 1/42 (2013.01); C02F 2001/5218 (2013.01); C02F 1/5245 (2013.01); C02F 1/56 (2013.01); C02F 1/66 (2013.01); C02F 1/74 (2013.01); C02F 5/00 (2013.01); C02F 2101/10 (2013.01); C02F 2101/203 (2013.01); C02F 2103/06 (2013.01); C02F 2103/08 (2013.01); C02F 2103/10 (2013.01); C02F 2209/02 (2013.01); C02F 2209/06 (2013.01); Y02W 10/37 (2015.05)] | 9 Claims |
1. A method for producing lithium hydroxide or lithium carbonate from a brine solution, the method comprising the steps of,
providing a brine solution comprising lithium and silica;
supplying the brine solution to a silica management step to remove silica from the brine solution to produce a silica-lean lithium containing solution;
supplying the silica-lean lithium containing solution to a lithium capture step, the lithium capture step being operable to capture lithium from the silica-lean lithium containing solution, wherein the lithium capture step selectively isolates lithium from the silica-lean lithium containing solution;
wherein the lithium capture step includes the step of contacting the silica-lean lithium containing solution with an intercalate operable to capture the lithium from the silica-lean lithium containing solution;
recovering the lithium from the lithium capture step using wash water to produce a lithium-rich stream comprising at least one of calcium, magnesium, manganese or zinc, and
contacting the lithium-rich stream with a base and a carbonate such that a portion of the at least one of calcium, magnesium, manganese or zinc present in the lithium-rich stream is removed as a solid precipitate to produce a purified lithium-rich stream comprising lithium hydroxide or lithium carbonate.
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