Selective lithium recovery as lithium carbonate from natural brines

摘要

Embodiments relate to methods, systems And apparatus tor generating lithium from brine. The brine is heated in a first vessel to greater than 260° C. and CO₂ gas is injected mixing with the brine such that the CO₂/P is greater than 18 g/atm. The brine is held at greater than 18 g/atm for longer than 20 minutes so that any impurities precipitate as solids leaving only lithium ions and chlorine ions. The brine is moved to a second vessel screening out solid precipitates leaving a brine containing only chlorine and lithium. CO₂ gas is injected and mixed with the brine at 260° C. so that the CO₂/P is greater than 200 g/atm. The brine is held at greater than 200 g/atm for longer than 20 minutes suppressing the chlorine as dissolved ions while lithium precipitates out as lithium carbonate. The lithium carbonate precipitate is removed from the brine solution.