PROCESS AND METHOD FOR REFINING LITHIUM CARBONATE STARTING FROM AN IMPURE LITHIUM CHLORIDE SOLUTION

摘要

A method for refining lithium from a crude brine includes charging a crude brine into a feeder tank held at a temperature T₁ and containing a sufficient carbonate source to precipitate all carbonate-forming solids in the crude brine to form a precipitate mixture and a crystal free supernatant; pumping the crystal free supernatant from the feeder tank to a first crystallization reactor that is held at a temperature T₂ to crystallize a lithium carbonate salt out of the crystal free supernatant; wherein the temperature T₁ is lower than the temperature T₂; and controlling a flow rate to maintain a steady state concentration of the lithium carbonate salt in the solution phase of the crystallization reactor.