US 12,460,309 B2
Direct electrochemical extraction of lithium from ores
Feifei Shi, University Park, PA (US); and Hanrui Zhang, University Park, PA (US)
Assigned to The Penn State Research Foundation, University Park, PA (US)
Appl. No. 18/861,704
Filed by The Penn State Research Foundation, University Park, PA (US)
PCT Filed May 16, 2023, PCT No. PCT/US2023/022350
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Oct. 30, 2024,
PCT Pub. No. WO2023/224970, PCT Pub. Date Nov. 23, 2023.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/364,850, filed on May 17, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2025/0109517 A1, Apr. 3, 2025
Int. Cl. C25C 3/02 (2006.01); C22B 3/04 (2006.01); C25C 7/02 (2006.01)
CPC C25C 3/02 (2013.01) [C22B 3/045 (2013.01); C25C 7/02 (2013.01)] 12 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for leaching lithium via an electrochemical apparatus including: a multi-functional current collector; an electrode; an electrolyte; and a lithium-bearing material, wherein the lithium-bearing material is dispersed or suspended in the electrolyte or the lithium-bearing material is coated onto the current collector, the method comprising:
applying voltage to the current collector to leach lithium from the lithium-bearing material; and
ex-situ adding an oxidant promoter to the electrolyte to increase the amount or rate of electron conduction and/or to lower the reaction potential of the electrochemical apparatus;
wherein the lithium-bearing material includes α-spodumene, β-spodumene, lepidolite, hectorite, jadarite, petalite, eucryptite, zinnwaldite, lithiophilite, triphylite, amblygonite, Li-enriched clay, and/or Li-bearing waste stream from mining or processing of coal, coal by-product, coal mineral, oil shale, coal underclay, and/or coal overburden.