Kwiminyaka emininzi, ukuveliswa kwe-lithium yokuthengisa ixhomekeke kwimithombo yamaminerari e-ore njenge-spodumene, i-petalite, ne-lepidolite. Nangona kunjalo, ukukhupha i-lithium evela kwimithombo enjalo kubaluleke kakhulu kunokuba kukhishwe isinyithi kwi-brine ye-lithium. Enyanisweni, iindleko zokukhipha i-lithium ukusuka kwidwala elinzima ziqikelelwa ukuba ziphindwe kabini ukuba zivelise kwiibhanti, zichaza ukuba kutheni imithombo enjalo iye yabizwa ngentengo kwimarike ukususela kuma-2000.
I-salr brines inokuchazwa njengendawo yamanzi engaphantsi komhlaba equlethe iindawo eziphezulu zetyuwa ezicocekileyo, ezifana ne-lithium, i-potassium, kunye ne-sodium. Ezi zifumaneka ngokubanzi ngaphantsi komhlaba wamanzi obisiweyo, obizwa ngokuba yi-savers.
I-lithium iqhutywe kwi-brine, spodumene, kunye nodongwe.
Ukucubungula kwiBrine
Ukuze kukhishwe i-lithium kwi-brines, amanzi anetyuwa kufuneka aqale aqhutywe emanzini abe ngxube lwamachibi okufudumala apho kuphuma khona ilanga kwiinyanga eziliqela. Ngenxa yokuba i-salar brines ivela kwiindawo eziphakamileyo eziphezulu-kwaye kwiindawo eziphantsi kwemvula-ukukhuphuka kwelanga kuyindlela efanelekileyo kunye nexabiso elifanelekileyo lokucwilisa isaliti.
I-Potassium ivame ukuvuna kuqala kwiimithombo zamanzi, ngelixa iifama zamva ziye zandisa kakhulu i-lithium. Ngokuqhelekileyo i-lithium-source brines iqule naphi na kwiikhulu ezingamakhulu kwisigidi kwi-lithium ukuya kuma-7,000ppm.
Xa i-lithium chloride emanzini okufudumala afinyelela kwi-concentration concentrator, isisombululo siyaphunyelwa kwisityalo sokubuyisela apho ukucoca kunye nokucoca kususa nayiphi na ibhonon okanye i- magnesium engafunekiyo. Iphethwe ke nge-carbonate (soda ash), ngaloo ndlela igwebise i-lithium carbonate. I-lithium carbonate ifakwe, iyomile, kwaye ilungele ukuhanjiswa.
Iibrasi ezisele ezithinteleyo ziphinda ziphonswe kwi-salar.
I-lithium carbonate yipoda egciniweyo emhlophe, eyona mceli oyintloko kwiimarike ze-lithium kuba ingaguqulwa ibe yi-salts ekhethekileyo yoshishino kunye neekhemikhali, okanye iqhutywe kwi-lithium yensimbi.
Uqwalaselo oluvela kwi-Spodumene
Ngokuphambene nemithombo ye-salar brine, ukukhutshwa kwe-lithium ukusuka kwi-spodumene kunye namanye amaminerali kufuna iindidi ezininzi zeenkqubo ze-hydrometallurgical.
I-Galaxy Resources, ezenza imayini ye-spodumene igxininise e-Australia, umzekelo, iqala ukuchoboza kwaye iyatshisa i-ore kwi-calcary kiln ukuze kuguqulwe isigaba se-lithium crystal kwi-alpha kuya kwe-beta (inkqubo ebizwa ngokuba yi- decrepitation ). Oku kuvumela ukuba i-lithium ekhoyo kwi-ore ibe yindwendwe yesodium. Igalelo le-spodumene eliphumo elikhuphekileyo licolile kwaye li-milled ibe ngumgubo ococekileyo ngaphambi kokuxutywa ne-asidi ye-sulpheric kwaye igongwe kwakhona. Inkqubo yokucoca i-thickener iyahlula inkunkuma kwindawo yotywala ephambili, ngelixa imvula isusa i-magnesium ne-calcium kwesi sixazululo.
Ekugqibeleni, i-soda ash yongezwa kwaye i-lithium carbonate i-crystallized, iyatshisa, ihlanjululwe kwaye imisiwe njengama-99 ekhulwini e-lithium carbonate.
Ukucubungula Ukusuka Kumgca
Kukho iindlela ezininzi ezahlukahlukeneyo zokukhangela i-lithium kwiibumba.
Ukukhethwa kwendlela yokulandela kuxhomekeke kwimeko yempahla ethile ebonakalayo. Nangona ezininzi iinkqubo ze-lithium zenziwe ziye zasetyenziswa, ezininzi iinkqubo zangoku ziye zaphuhliswa kwizinto ze-pegmatite kunye nezinto ezingenakusebenza ngokupheleleyo ekukhutsheni i-lithium kwizinto zokutya zedongwe. I-Bureau of Mines studies iye yaphanda i-lime-gypsum i-roast kunye ne-chloride yokugcoba i-lithium extraction kwi-spodumene kunye ne-amblygonite.
Iinkqubo ezicatshungulwayo zokukhipha i-lithium ezivela kubumba ziquka ukuphazamiseka kwamanzi, unyango lwe-hydrothermal, i-leaching ye-acid, i-leaching-water leaching, i-leaching-wateraching leaching, i-leaching-water leaching-leaching, kunye ne-leaching-water leaching -aching . Nangona kunjalo, nangona uvavanyo, udongwe aluzange lubonise ukuba lube neendleko ezifanelekileyo kwaye aluqhutyelwa ngorhwebo.
Ekugqibeleni, ukukhipha i-lithium ukusuka kwi-brine ishibhile kodwa ihamba ngokukhawuleza, i-spodumene iyabiza kodwa ngokukhawuleza, kwaye udongwe alungabonakali ngokurhweba kwizinga. Kukho ubuchwepheshe obutsha bokubhubhisa i-lithium (kubandakanywa i-leaching, i-solvent, i-extraction, kunye ne-electrolysis) kodwa iziphumo azihambelani ukuba zisetyenziselwe ukuthengisa.
Ukuguqula iLithium kwisinyithi
Ukuguqula i-lithium kwisinyithi kwenziwa kwiseli ye-electrolytic isebenzisa i-lithium chloride.
I-chloride ixutywe ne-potassium chloride kwisiqingatha sama-55 ekhulwini i-lithium chloride ukuya kuma-45 ekhulwini i-potassium chloride ukwenzela ukuvelisa i-electrolyte eutectic etyhidiweyo. I-potassium chloride yongezwa ukwenzela ukwandisa ukuqhuba kwe-lithium ngelixa ihlehlisa ukushisa kwe-fusion.
Xa ifakwe kunye ne-electrolyzed malunga ne-450 ° C, igesi ye-chloreji ikhululiwe, ngelixa i-lithium enyulukisayo iphakama kumphezulu we-electrolyte, ukuqokelela kwi-cast- iron enclosures. I-lithium ecocekileyo ikhiqizwe yifakwe kwi-parafini yokhuni ukukhusela i-oxyidization. Umlinganiselo wokuguqulwa kwe-lithium carbonate kwisimbi ye-lithium i malunga no-5.3 ukuya ku-1.
Ukuveliswa kweLithium yehlabathi
Nangona iChile neAustralia yimihlaba emikhulu yehlabathi i-lithium, i-US, i-Argentina kunye ne-China nayo yabavelisi abakhulu. Imarike ye-lithium ilawulwa kakhulu yiinkampani ezine: Sociedad Química y Minera yaseChile (eChile), iTalison (Australia), i-Chemetall (eJamani) kunye ne-FMC (i-US). I-lithium carbonate ngokuqhelekileyo ithengiswa kwiikontraka zeminyaka emithathu ukuya kweyesihlanu ezivela kubasebenzi basezimayini ukuya kuhlengahlengiso, kubandakanye nalabo abalwe apha ngentla, abavelisa kwaye bathengise iikhemikhali eziphantsi kwamanzi kunye ne-lithium yensimbi.
Ngo-2017, imveliso (ijikelezwe) emhlabeni jikelele ye-lithium (ngaphandle kokuveliswa kwe-US) ibe ngama-43 000 weetrikoni.