Method for producing lithium carbonate

1. A method for producing lithium carbonate, said method comprising:

(i) thermally decomposing limestone to produce carbon dioxide (carbonate gas);

(ii) adding ammonia to an aqueous solution containing lithium chloride;

(iii) adding carbon dioxide to the resulting ammoniated aqueous solution containing lithium chloride of step (ii) to conduct a carbonation reaction to produce lithium carbonate; and

(iv) thereafter, recovering the produced lithium carbonate by solid-liquid separation,

wherein ammonia generated by reacting (a) ammonium chloride produced in step (iii) as a by-product with (b) burnt lime produced in step (i) as a by-product or hydrated product thereof is recycled as ammonia used in step (ii); and

wherein the thermal decomposition of limestone is conducted in a field where the carbonation reaction is conducted.

2. The method for producing lithium carbonate according to claim 1 , wherein the aqueous solution containing lithium chloride is prepared by concentrating a brine obtained from a salt lake.

3. The method for producing lithium carbonate according to claim 2 , wherein a lithium concentration of the brine after the concentration is from 2.0% by weight to saturated concentration.

4. A method for producing high purity lithium carbonate, said method comprising cleaning the lithium carbonate recovered in the method according to claim 1 with a highly-concentrated lithium carbonate aqueous solution.