METHOD FOR PRODUCING LITHIUM ADSORBENT, LITHIUM ADSORBENT, STARTING MATERIALS FOR LITHIUM ADSORBENT, LITHIUM CONCENTRATION METHOD, AND LITHIUM CONCENTRATION DEVICE

摘要

Provided is a method for producing a lithium adsorbent, which is used in the industrial concentration and recovery of trace amounts of lithium contained in lithium-containing water, and which has excellent selective absorbency and high adsorption speed, has a high weight/adsorption ratio, and is capable of repeated adsorption and elution. The method comprises: a mechanochemical step for mixing trimanganese tetraoxide and lithium hydroxide such that the molar ratio of manganese (x) and lithium (y) is x:y = 1:1 to 1.5:1, and subjecting the mixture to mechanochemical pulverization; a pre-calcining step for then pre-calcining in a temperature range of 375ºC to 450ºC in air or an oxygen atmosphere; a calcining step for then cooling, mixing, and pulverizing, followed by calcining in a temperature range of 475ºC to 550ºC in air or an oxygen atmosphere in order to obtain a spinel-type lithium manganate with excess oxygen; and an elution step for eluting lithium by treating the spinel-type lithium manganate with excess oxygen using an acid in an amount that is in large excess with respect to the amount of lithium.