The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 13, 1986
Filed:
Jul. 23, 1985
Harris E Kluksdahl, San Rafael, CA (US);
Chevron Research Company, San Francisco, CA (US);
Abstract
This invention relates to the separation of lithium from lithium-containing materials, primarily ores such as hectoritic montmorillonite, having about 0.02 to 2.0 percent lithium by weight. The process comprises reducing the particle size of the material to less than about 500 microns; slurrying the particles with an aqueous base consisting of carbonates or hydroxides of sodium or potassium; heating the resulting slurry at about 50.degree. to 125.degree. C. for from about 0.1 to 6 hr; separating the solids and acidifying the solids with aqueous sulfuric acid to a pH value of about 0 to 2; heating the acidified slurry at about 50.degree. to 125.degree. C. for about 0.5 to 10 hr; separating the residual solids from the aqueous phase; separating the liquid portion of the cooled slurry, which is treated with sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide or calcium hydroxide and then with sodium carbonate or potassium carbonate with heating to remove interfering alkaline earth metals, cooling and separating the aqueous phase followed by treatment with sufficient alkali carbonate to precipitate the lithium carbonate with filtering of the hot slurry to remove the lithium as solid lithium carbonate. Lithium and its compounds have a variety of uses ranging from a component of a lightweight electric storage battery to pharmaceuticals used in the treatment of depression and other diseases.