3D-printed devices for continuous-flow lithium recovery of brines

Abstract

Adsorption processes were widely used in the recovery of lithium from salt lakes. Fixed-bed continuous flow reactors were mainly used in adsorption due to their simple structure and stable reaction. 3D printing, due to its ability to greatly reduce the packing and fixed-bed reactor design cycle and cost, was gradually becoming as one of the key technologies for intelligent manufacturing of fixed beds. This work utilizes the advantages of digital preparation by 3D printing to address the low elution efficiency and adsorption capacity of titanium-based lithium-ion sieves (Ti-LIS) in fixed-bed lithium recovery. 3D printed fixed bed packing with high adsorption capacity were prepared using an in-situ growth strategy, acidic gel and reactor design were utilized to achieve efficient elution of Ti-LIS. The dynamic adsorption showed that the adsorption capacity of 3D printed fixed bed packing could reach 16 mg·g−1 and the elution efficiency can be increased from 78 % to 95 % with the same amount of acid.