US 11,965,261 B2
Electrolytic production of high-purity lithium from low-purity sources
Yi Cui, Stanford, CA (US); Yang Jin, Zhengzhou (CN); Hui Wu, Beijing (CN); Kai Liu, Beijing (CN); and Jialiang Lang, Fushun (CN)
Assigned to MetaGenesis, Ltd., Sunnyvale, CA (US)
Appl. No. 17/418,420
Filed by MetaGenesis, Ltd., Sunnyvale, CA (US)
PCT Filed Dec. 13, 2019, PCT No. PCT/CN2019/125337
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jun. 25, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/135112, PCT Pub. Date Jul. 2, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. PCT/CN2018/124602 (WO), filed on Dec. 28, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2022/0074062 A1, Mar. 10, 2022
Int. Cl. C25C 7/00 (2006.01); C25C 3/02 (2006.01); C25C 7/02 (2006.01); C25C 7/04 (2006.01)
CPC C25C 3/02 (2013.01) [C25C 7/025 (2013.01); C25C 7/04 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of one-step purification of lithium compounds, comprising electrolyzing a molten composition comprising a lithium salt and an aluminum salt, with an anode at least partially covered by metallic aluminum in contact with the molten composition and a cathode comprising molten lithium separated from the molten composition by a solid electrolyte capable of conducting lithium ions, wherein the solid electrolyte allows lithium ions, but not other atoms, to pass through, and comprises a garnet-type oxide comprises Li7-xLa3TaxZr2-xO12 wherein x is from 0.4 to 0.6, wherein the solid electrolyte has a relative density from 97% to 99.9%, and wherein after the electrolyzing, a concentration of lithium at the cathode is increased by from 7.2 times to over 1500 times at the molten composition.