Porous activated alumina based sorbent for lithium extraction
This invention relates to a method for preparing a lithium activated alumina intercalate solid by contacting a three-dimensional activated alumina with a lithium salt under conditions sufficient to infuse lithium salts into activated alumina for the selective extraction and recovery of lithium from lithium containing solutions, including brines.
1. A sorbent composition for the recovery of lithium from a lithium containing solution, the sorbent composition comprising:
a particulate material containing an activated alumina lithium intercalate composition comprising a three-dimensionally structured activated alumina comprising a plurality of pores and a lithium salt present within the plurality of pores,
wherein the three-dimensionally structured activated alumina includes one or more of α-Al 2 O 3 , β-Al 2 O 3 , γ-Al 2 O 3 , θ-Al 2 O 3 , χ-Al 2 O 3 , κ-Al 2 O 3 , ε-Al 2 O 3 , δ-Al 2 O 3 , AlO(OH), pseudoboehmite, or a combination thereof.
2. The composition of claim 1 , wherein a mole fraction of lithium to alumina in the activated alumina lithium intercalate composition is in the range from 0.1 to 0.33.
3. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the lithium salt comprises lithium chloride or lithium hydroxide.
4. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the particulate material has an average diameter from 200 to 800 μm.
5. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the three-dimensionally structured activated alumina consists of Al 2 O 3 or pseudoboehmite.
6. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the three-dimensionally structured activated alumina comprises Al 2 O 3 .
7. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the three-dimensionally structured activated alumina comprises pseudoboehmite.
8. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the three-dimensionally structured activated alumina comprises Al 2 O 3 and pseudoboehmite.
9. The composition of claim 1 , wherein a mole fraction of lithium to alumina in the activated alumina lithium intercalate composition is up to 0.5.
10. A sorbent composition for the recovery of lithium from a lithium containing solution, the sorbent composition comprising:
a particulate material containing an activated alumina lithium intercalate composition comprising a lithium salt and an activated alumina selected from the group consisting of α-Al 2 O 3 , β-Al 2 O 3 , γ-Al 2 O 3 , θ-Al 2 O 3 , χ-Al 2 O 3 , κ-Al 2 O 3 , ε-Al 2 O 3 , δ-Al 2 O 3 , AlO(OH), pseudoboehmite, or a combination thereof.