Electrolytic method for the production of lithium using a lithium--amalgam electrode
A method is described for recovering lithium from its molten amalgam by electrolysis of the amalgam in an electrolytic cell containing as a molten electrolyte a fused salt consisting essentially of a mixture of two or more alkali metal halides, preferably alkali metal halides selected from lithium iodide, lithium chloride, potassium iodide, and potassium chloride. A particularly suitable molten electrolyte is a fused salt consisting essentially of a mixture of at least three components obtained by modifying eutectic mixture of LiI--KI by the addition of a minor amount of one or more alkali metal halides. The lithium-amalgam fused-salt cell may be used in an electrolytic system for recovering lithium from an aqueous solution of a lithium compound, wherein electrolysis of the aqueous solution in an aqueous cell in the presence of a mercury cathode produces a lithium amalgam. The present method is particularly useful for the regeneration of lithium from the aqueous reaction products of a lithium--water--air battery. 1 figure.
- Assignee:
- Dept. of Energy
- Patent Number(s):
- None
- OSTI ID:
- 6377463
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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250902 -- Energy Storage-- Batteries-- Performance & Testing
37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
400400* -- Electrochemistry
ALKALI METAL COMPOUNDS
ALKALI METALS
ALLOYS
AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS
CHLORIDES
CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
DISPERSIONS
ELECTRIC BATTERIES
ELECTRIC-POWERED VEHICLES
ELECTROCHEMICAL CELLS
ELECTROLYSIS
ELECTROLYTIC CELLS
ELEMENTS
ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEMS
EUTECTICS
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
HIGH TEMPERATURE
INORGANIC PHOSPHORS
IODIDES
IODINE COMPOUNDS
LITHIUM
LITHIUM ALLOYS
LITHIUM CHLORIDES
LITHIUM COMPOUNDS
LITHIUM HALIDES
LITHIUM IODIDES
LITHIUM-WATER-AIR BATTERIES
LYSIS
MANAGEMENT
MEDIUM TEMPERATURE
MERCURY ALLOYS
METAL-GAS BATTERIES
METALS
MIXTURES
PHOSPHORS
POTASSIUM CHLORIDES
POTASSIUM COMPOUNDS
POTASSIUM IODIDES
PROCESSING
RECOVERY
SOLUTIONS
VEHICLES
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING