Recovery of Li from alloys of Al- Li and Li- Al using engineered scavenger compounds

Patent · Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1994

OSTI ID:869366

Riley, W D ^[1]; Jong, B W ^[2]; Collins, W K ^[1]; Gerdemann, S J ^[1]

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1. Albany, OR
2. Corvallis, OR

A method of producing lithium of high purity from lithium aluminum alloys using an engineered scavenger compound, comprising: I) preparing an engineered scavenger compound by: a) mixing and heating compounds of TiO2 and Li2CO3 at a temperature sufficient to dry the compounds and convert Li.sub.2 CO.sub.3 to Li.sub.2 O; and b) mixing and heating the compounds at a temperature sufficient to produce a scavenger Li.sub.2 O.3TiO.sub.2 compound; II) loading the scavenger into one of two electrode baskets in a three electrode cell reactor and placing an Al-Li alloy in a second electrode basket of the three electrode cell reactor; III) heating the cell to a temperature sufficient to enable a mixture of KCl-LiCl contained in a crucible in the cell to reach its melting point and become a molten bath; IV) immersing the baskets in the bath until an electrical connection is made between the baskets to charge the scavenger compound with Li until there is an initial current and voltage followed by a fall off ending current and voltage; and V) making a connection between the basket electrode containing engineered scavenger compound and a steel rod electrode disposed between the basket electrodes and applying a current to cause Li to leave the scavenger compound and become electrodeposited on the steel rod electrode.

• Research Organization: National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), Pittsburgh, PA, Morgantown, WV (United States)
• Assignee: United States of America as represented by Secretary of (Washington, DC)
• Patent Number(s): US 5324394
• OSTI ID: 869366
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

recovery
alloys
al-
li-
engineered
scavenger
compounds
method
producing
lithium
purity
aluminum
compound
comprising
preparing
mixing
heating
tio2
li2co3
temperature
sufficient
dry
convert
produce
3tio
ii
loading
electrode
baskets
cell
reactor
placing
al-li
alloy
basket
iii
enable
mixture
kcl-licl
contained
crucible
reach
melting
molten
bath
immersing
electrical
connection
charge
initial
current
voltage
followed
fall
containing
steel
rod
disposed
electrodes
applying
leave
electrodeposited
scavenger compound
lithium aluminum
steel rod
temperature sufficient
aluminum alloy
electrical connection
electrode disposed
electrode containing
aluminum alloys
rod electrode
engineered scavenger
/205/