Study of the Possibility of Purifying Lithium Chloride Solution to Remove Impurities by Sorption Method

Abstract

Possibility of using the ion-exchange method for purification of aqueous lithium-containing solutions to remove soluble chemical impurities was studied. As sorbents served strongly acidic (Tokem-140, Tokem-308/545, KU-2-8), weakly acidic (Tokem-200), mixed phosphorus-containing (Purolite S597), and chelate cation exchangers (Amberlite IRC-748, Purolite S930) of imported and domestic manufacture in the H⁺ and NH₄⁺ forms. The physical properties of the sorbents were examined. Values of the distribution coefficients of lithium and impurity ions and the static exchange capacity were calculated. It was shown that it is possible to perform group extraction of impurities: ions of alkaline-earth (Ca, Mg) and transition metals (Al, Fe, Cu, Ni, Zn, Ti, Cr, Mn) with a Purolite S597 cation exchanger in the H⁺ form and Cu and Fe admixtures by chelate sorbents (Amberlite IRC-748 and Purolite S930).