Claims
- 1. A process for preparing low sodium lithium carbonate comprising:preparing a brine containing about 6.0 wt % lithium and further containing sodium, magnesium and calcium; adding mother liquor containing carbonate from a prior precipitation step to precipitate magnesium as magnesium carbonate; adding a solution of CaO and sodium carbonate to remove calcium and magnesium; adding further sodium carbonate solution to precipitate lithium carbonate and recovering the lithium carbonate; preparing an aqueous slurry of the recovered lithium carbonate and adding carbon dioxide gas to the slurry at a temperature of from 10 to about 30° C.; increasing the temperature to from about 70 to about 95° C. to precipitate low sodium lithium carbonate having a sodium content of less than 0.0002 wt %.
- 2. A process for preparing lithium chloride comprising preparing low sodium lithium carbonate having a sodium content of less than 0.0002 wt. % according to the process of claim 1, and reacting the lithium carbonate having a sodium content of less than 0.0002 wt. % with hydrochloric acid having 0.15 ppm to produce lithium chloride having a sodium content of less than 0.001 wt. %.
- 3. A process for preparing lithium chloride comprising:preparing a brine containing about 6.0 wt % lithium and further containing sodium, magnesium and calcium; adding carbonate to precipitate magnesium as magnesium carbonate; adding a solution of CaO and sodium carbonate to remove calcium and magnesium; adding additional carbonate solution to precipitate lithium carbonate and recovering the lithium carbonate; preparing an aqueous slurry comprising the recovered lithium carbonate; adding carbon dioxide gas said aqueous slurry at a temperature of from 10 to about 30° C.; increasing the temperature to from about 70 to about 95° C. to precipitate lithium carbonate having a sodium content of less than 0.0002 wt % ; and reacting the lithium carbonate having a sodium content of less than 0.0002 wt. % with hydrochloric acid having a sodium content of less than 0.15 ppm to produce lithium chloride having a sodium content of less than 0.001 wt %.
Parent Case Info
Divisional of prior application Ser. No. 09/353,185 filed Jul. 14, 1999, and claims the benefit of No. 60/100,340, filed Sep. 14, 1998 and No. 60/093,024, filed Jul. 16, 1998.
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Provisional Applications (2)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60/100340 |
Sep 1998 |
US |
|
60/093024 |
Jul 1998 |
US |