US 11,964,876 B2
Lithium extraction in the presence of scalants
David Henry Snydacker, San Francisco, CA (US); Amos Indranada, Emeryville, CA (US); and Alysia Lukito, Emeryville, CA (US)
Assigned to LILAC SOLUTIONS, INC., Oakland, CA (US)
Filed by Lilac Solutions, Inc., Oakland, CA (US)
Filed on Feb. 16, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/673,624.
Application 17/673,624 is a continuation of application No. 17/364,530, filed on Jun. 30, 2021, granted, now 11,358,875.
Application 17/364,530 is a continuation of application No. PCT/US2021/036227, filed on Jun. 7, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/036,896, filed on Jun. 9, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0348475 A1, Nov. 3, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. C01D 15/06 (2006.01); B01J 39/02 (2006.01); B01J 39/05 (2017.01); B01J 39/10 (2006.01); B01J 39/20 (2006.01); B01J 47/011 (2017.01); B01J 47/04 (2006.01); B01J 49/53 (2017.01)
CPC C01D 15/06 (2013.01) [B01J 39/02 (2013.01); B01J 39/05 (2017.01); B01J 39/10 (2013.01); B01J 39/20 (2013.01); B01J 47/011 (2017.01); B01J 47/04 (2013.01); B01J 49/53 (2017.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for extracting lithium from a liquid resource, the system comprising:
a) a lithium-selective ion exchange material, wherein the lithium-selective ion exchange material absorbs lithium from the liquid resource to form a first lithium-enriched ion exchange material;
b) an optional wash component configured to remove the liquid resource from said first lithium-enriched ion exchange material;
c) a protonation component configured to contact an acidic solution to the first lithium-enriched ion exchange material, wherein lithium and impurities are eluted from said first lithium-enriched ion exchange material to form a first impurities-enriched lithiated acidic solution and a first partially-eluted ion exchange material; and
d) a purification component configured to remove at least some of the impurities from said first impurities-enriched lithiated acidic solution to form a lithium-enriched acidic solution; and
e) a fluid connection configured to either
i. contact the lithium-enriched acidic solution with the first partially-eluted ion exchange material such that lithium and impurities are further eluted from the first partially-eluted ion exchange material to form a second impurities-enriched lithiated acidic solution having an accumulated amount of lithium and the first partially-eluted ion exchange material, or
ii. contact the lithium-enriched acidic solution to a second lithium-enriched ion exchange material, wherein lithium and impurities are eluted from said second lithium-enriched ion exchange material to form a second impurities-enriched lithiated acidic solution having an accumulated amount of lithium and a second partially-eluted ion exchange material.