Granted Patent B1

US 8,753,594 · App. 12/945,519 · Granted Jun 17, 2014

Inventors: John L. Burba, III (Parker, CO); Ray F. Stewart (Belmont, CA); Brian E. Viani (Berkeley, CA); Stephen Harrison (Benicia, CA); Christine Ellen Vogdes (Sunnyvale, CA); John Galil Salim Lahlouh (San Jose, CA)

Assignee: Simbol, Inc.

Abstract

Claims (25)

1. A method for preparing a composition for recovery of lithium from a brine, wherein the method comprises the steps of:

preparing a lithium aluminate intercalate solid by contacting a lithium salt with alumina under conditions sufficient to infuse the alumina with lithium salt, wherein the mole ratio of lithium to alumina is up to about 0.5:1; and

mixing the lithium aluminate intercalate solid with a polymer material in an aqueous medium to form a matrix, wherein said lithium aluminate intercalate solid is present in an amount of at least about 80% by weight and said polymer is present in an amount of between about 1% and 20% by weight, and wherein the said polymer is not an ion-exchange resin.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the lithium salt is lithium chloride.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the matrix is sintered to form a solid.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein sintering the matrix comprises subjecting the matrix to pressure of at least 5000 psi and heating the matrix to a temperature of at least about 200° C.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the alumina is selected from gibbsite, alumina hydrate, bayerite, nordstandite, bauxite, amorphous aluminum trihydroxide, and activated alumina.

6. A method for preparing a composition for recovery of lithium from a brine, wherein the method comprises the steps of:

preparing a lithium aluminate intercalate solid by contacting a lithium salt with alumina under conditions sufficient to infuse the alumina with lithium salt, wherein the mole ratio of lithium to alumina is up to about 0.5:1; and

mixing the lithium aluminate intercalate solid with a polymer material in an aqueous medium to form a matrix, wherein said lithium aluminate intercalate solid is present in an amount of at least about 80% by weight and said polymer is present in an amount of between about 1% and 20% by weight, and wherein the said polymer is selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, ultra high molecular weight polyethylene, high density polyethylene, polypropylene, poly vinyl alcohol, poly acrylic acid, polyvinylidinedifluoride, and polytetrafluoroethylene.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the lithium salt is lithium chloride.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the matrix is sintered to form a solid.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein sintering the matrix comprises subjecting the matrix to pressure of at least 5000 psi and heating the matrix to a temperature of at least about 200° C.

10. The method of claim 6 , wherein the alumina is selected from gibbsite, alumina hydrate, bayerite, nordstandite, bauxite, amorphous aluminum trihydroxide, and activated alumina.

11. A composition for recovery of lithium from a brine comprising particulate material comprising a lithium aluminate intercalate and a polymer,

wherein the lithium aluminate intercalate is produced by infusing alumina with a lithium salt to produce a LiX/AI(OH) 3 solid having a mole fraction of lithium to alumina of up to about 0.33, wherein X is the anion of the lithium salt,

wherein the lithium aluminate intercalate is present in an amount of at least about 80% by weight and the polymer is present in an amount of between about 1% and 20% by weight, and

and wherein the said polymer is not an ion-exchange resin.

12. The composition of claim 11 wherein the lithium salt is lithium chloride.

13. The composition of claim 11 wherein the polymer is selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, ultra high molecular weight polyethylene, high density polyethylene, polypropylene, poly vinyl alcohol, poly acrylic acid, polyvinylidinedifluoride, and polytetrafluoroethylene.

14. The composition of claim 11 wherein the polymer comprises an emulsified water insoluble polymer.

15. The composition of claim 14 wherein the emulsified water insoluble polymer comprises a fluoropolymer.

16. The composition of claim 14 wherein the emulsified water insoluble polymer is an acrylic interpolymer.

17. The composition of claim 11 wherein the particulate material has an average diameter of between about 100 and 450 μm.

18. The composition of claim 11 wherein the particulate material has an average diameter of between about 180 and 300 μm.

Assignments (8)

Continuity (1)