Recovery of Lithium Carbonate from Dilute Li-Rich Brine via Homogenous and Heterogeneous Precipitation.

An extensive experimental campaign on Li recovery from relatively dilute LiCl solutions (i.e., Li + ∼ 4000 ppm) is presented to identify the best operating conditions for a Li 2 CO 3 crystallization unit. Lithium is currently mainly produced via solar evaporation, purification, and precipitation from highly concentrated Li brines located in a few world areas. The process requires large surfaces and long times (18-24 months) to concentrate Li + up to 20,000 ppm. The present work investigates two separation routes to extract Li + from synthetic solutions, mimicking those obtained from low-content Li + sources through selective Li + separation and further concentration steps: (i) addition of Na 2 CO 3 solution and (ii) addition of NaOH solution + CO 2 insufflation. A Li recovery up to 80% and purities up to 99% at 80 °C and with high-ionic strength solutions was achieved employing NaOH solution + CO 2 insufflation and an ethanol washing step.