Lithium Extraction Process from Lithium Rich Brine in Oil and Gas Fields

At present, the production of lithium salts in China is mainly based on lithium containing ores such as spodumene and lithium mica, but the domestic lithium ore resources have low grades and rely heavily on imports.

Compared with lithium extraction from ores, lithium extraction from salt lakes has significant cost advantages. In addition to the above-mentioned ores and salt lake lithium resources, oil (gas) field water with useful components reaching industrial grade is also a liquid resource with development potential.

Oil and gas field water contains mineral resources such as lithium, potassium, boron, and bromine. Sampling and analysis of oil and gas field water have found that the content of lithium, potassium, boron, bromine, and other resources in many oil and gas field waters in China is higher than the minimum industrial grade, which has potential resource utilization value. The application of lithium extraction technology from oil and gas field water has great economic value.

Haipu has developed a new process for extracting lithium from underground brine in oil fields based on its independently developed HPL900 lithium extraction adsorbent. The adsorbent is used to adsorb lithium from underground brine in alkaline environments, and desorb rich lithium solution in acidic environments. After purification and concentration, the rich lithium solution can be made into lithium carbonate or lithium hydroxide according to the type of battery production.

HPL900 is a highly selective and high-capacity lithium ion sieve adsorbent prepared by techniques such as nanohybridization and lithium ion imprinting. The active nanocrystalline particles of the adsorbent have efficient adsorption performance for lithium ions (with an adsorption capacity greater than 10.0g Li/L), and the adsorption sites have a memory effect on lithium ions, resulting in high adsorption selectivity. Even if the content of alkali metals and alkaline earth metals is hundreds or thousands of times that of lithium ions in salt lake brines or lithium containing feed solutions.

HPL900 also exhibits high selectivity towards lithium. Through a single adsorption separation, the magnesium lithium ratio, sodium lithium ratio, and potassium lithium ratio can all be reduced to below 1:1.

This product is suitable for lithium extraction from salt lakes, lithium rich brines in oil and gas fields, lithium-ion battery recycling industries, and other lithium containing liquid materials.