Lithium Recovery from Geothermal Water by Combined Adsorption Methods

Abstract

Recovery of Li⁺ from geothermal water has been investigated using a combination of adsorptive separation with magnetite and λ-MnO₂ adsorbents. The inhibition of Li⁺ adsorption together with decomposition of λ-MnO₂ was observed when geothermal water containing As was fed to the column in which λ-MnO₂ was packed. Magnetite (Fe₃O₄) was therefore used for removal of As from the geothermal water, prior to adsorption of Li⁺. Using As removal from the geothermal water with magnetite, decomposition of λ-MnO₂ was significantly prevented during adsorption of Li⁺, although a small amount of As still remained.

Keywords:

• Adsorption
• lithium geothermal water
• λ-MnO₂
• magnetite

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

The authors are grateful for the financial support through a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B) (No. 23360344) from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS). The XRD and TG-DTA measurements were performed at the Instrumentation Center, University of Kitakyushu, Japan.