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7 EP 2 591 130 B1 8 step of precipitating and removing impurities in the brine, including magnesium, boron or calcium, by adding a hy- droxyl ion in the lithium bearing solution (e.g., brine, and hereinafter the solution is assumed to be brine) may be a step of precipitating and removing impurities in the brine, including magnesium, boron and calcium, by add- ing a hydroxyl ion in the brine. [0047] In one embodiment of the present invention, the step of precipitating and removing impurities in the brine, including magnesium, boron or calcium, by adding a hy- droxyl ion in the brine may further comprise the steps of: (a) producing magnesium hydroxide from the magnesi- um by adding a hydroxyl ion in the brine; (b) absorbing boron in the magnesium hydroxide to extract magnesium and boron by co-precipitating magnesium and boron; and (c) precipitating calcium by adjusting the pH of the filtrate from which magnesium and boron are removed to be at least 12. [0048] Depending on the amount of magnesium, the step of (a) producing magnesium hydroxide from the magnesium by adding a hydroxyl ion in the brine and the step of (b) absorbing boron in the magnesium hydroxide to extract magnesium and boron by co-precipitating mag- nesium and boron may be performed individually or con- currently. [0049] In other words, if a sufficient amount of magne- sium hydroxide is produced and the produced magnesi- um hydroxide is capable of absorbing most of the boron, steps (a) and (b) may be performed simultaneously, whereas the steps may be performed separately if the amount of magnesium produced is insufficient. [0050] In one embodiment of the present invention, for example, the magnesium may be produced as magne- sium hydroxide by adding a hydroxyl ion (e.g., NaOH) to a lithium bearing brine including magnesium, boron, and calcium. [0051] The pH of the brine with the added hydroxyl ion (e.g., NaOH) may be adjusted to be between 8.5 and 10.5 and subsequently, the co-precipitation of magnesi- um and boron may be possible by absorbing boron in the magnesium hydroxide. [0052] The steps may be performed concurrently. [0053] In order to elevate the pH of the brine to the range from 8.5 to 10.5, magnesium dissolved in the brine may be precipitated as magnesium hydroxide by adding a hydroxyl ion (e.g., NaOH). Magnesium hydroxide is characterized in having a low solubility of 0.009g/L, and has a tendency to easily precipitate in a basic solution having a pH of 8 or higher. [0054] In addition, by maintaining the pH of the brine to be between 8.5 and 10.5, boron (e.g.,boron ions) may be absorbed on the surface of the produced magnesium hydroxide to co-precipitate magnesium and boron. [0055] In this regard, the surface charge of the mag- nesium hydroxide can be utilized. [0056] In general, the surface charge of the magnesi- um hydroxide is greatly influenced by the pH of the so- lution. When the surface charge of the magnesium hy- droxide is positive, the boron ions existing in the form of a negative ion, such as H2BO3- or HBO3 2-, are absorbed in the magnesium hydroxide, and the magnesium and boron dissolved in the lithium bearing solution canbe re- moved by simultaneous extraction. When the surface charge of the magnesium hydroxide is negative, howev- er, the negatively charged boron ions are not absorbed in the magnesium hydroxide. [0057] If the pH of the brine is below 8.5, the removal efficiency of magnesium will decline because a relatively low pH results in an insufficient amount of precipitated magnesium hydroxide from magnesium ions dissolved in the brine. On the other hand, if the pH exceeds 10.5, as seen in FIG. 1, the surface charge of magnesium hy- droxide would be negatively charged, and the boron ions cannot be absorbed thereon. Consequently, the absorb- ance of positively charged lithium ions present in the brine will lead to a substantial loss of lithium. [0058] In order to simultaneously extract both magne- sium and boron by precipitation, a hydroxyl ion (e.g., NaOH) may be added to the brine in phases, which allows the pH maintenance of the brine to be between 8.5 to 10.5. [0059] An adequate amount of a hydroxyl ion (e.g.,NaOH) is added to the brine having nearly a neutral pH to adjust the pH in the range between 8.5 and 10.5. This allows the absorbance of boron (e.g.,boron ions) on the surface charge of the magnesium hydroxide to co- precipitate most of the magnesium and boron dissolved in the brine. [0060] In order to additionally co-precipitate the re- maining magnesium and boron existing in the filtrate after most of the magnesium and boron are precipitated, an additional hydroxyl ion(e.g., NaOH) may be added to the filtrate to adjust the pH to be between 8.5 and 10.5 and subsequently precipitate the remaining magnesium and boron. [0061] It is preferable to add the hydroxyl ion (e.g., NaOH) in phases because if a large amount of the hy- droxyl ion is added at onceto precipitate magnesium and boron dissolved in the brine, the pH of the brine is not likely to be maintained at between 8.5 and 10.5, and thus the co-precipitation efficiency of magnesium and boron is likely to drop as well, resulting in the loss of lithium. [0062] In order to separate the precipitated magnesi- um hydroxide absorbed with the boron from the brine, a filtration is performed to extract magnesium and boron simultaneously and to obtain the resulting filtrate. [0063] Calcium may be precipitated by adding a hy- droxyl ion or carbonate ion (e.g., NaOH, carbonate, or a mixture thereof) to the filtrate from which magnesium and boron are extracted to adjust the pH to be 12 or higher. [0064] Depending on the types of hydroxyl ion or car- bonate ion used, calcium hydroxide or carbonate hydrox- ide may be precipitated. [0065] If the filtration step to separate the precipitated magnesium hydroxide absorbed with the boron from the brine is omitted, and the pH is adjusted to be 12 or higher 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 5PDF Image | Patent Lithium European Patent Spec
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Product and Development Focus for Infinity Turbine
ORC Waste Heat Turbine and ORC System Build Plans: All turbine plans are $10,000 each. This allows you to build a system and then consider licensing for production after you have completed and tested a unit.Redox Flow Battery Technology: With the advent of the new USA tax credits for producing and selling batteries ($35/kW) we are focussing on a simple flow battery using shipping containers as the modular electrolyte storage units with tax credits up to $140,000 per system. Our main focus is on the salt battery. This battery can be used for both thermal and electrical storage applications. We call it the Cogeneration Battery or Cogen Battery. One project is converting salt (brine) based water conditioners to simultaneously produce power. In addition, there are many opportunities to extract Lithium from brine (salt lakes, groundwater, and producer water).Salt water or brine are huge sources for lithium. Most of the worlds lithium is acquired from a brine source. It's even in seawater in a low concentration. Brine is also a byproduct of huge powerplants, which can now use that as an electrolyte and a huge flow battery (which allows storage at the source).We welcome any business and equipment inquiries, as well as licensing our turbines for manufacturing.CONTACT TEL: 608-238-6001 Email: greg@infinityturbine.com (Standard Web Page)