Processes for Preparing Lithium Carbonate Verfahren Zur Herstellung Von Lithiumcarbonat Procédés De Préparation De Carbonate De Lithium
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(19) TZZ ¥_T (11) EP 2 855 735 B1 (12) EUROPEAN PATENT SPECIFICATION (45) Date of publication and mention (51) Int Cl.: of the grant of the patent: C25B 1/16 (2006.01) C01D 15/08 (2006.01) 07.03.2018 Bulletin 2018/10 C22B 3/04 (2006.01) C22B 26/12 (2006.01) (21) Application number: 13796576.0 (86) International application number: PCT/CA2013/000526 (22) Date of filing: 30.05.2013 (87) International publication number: WO 2013/177680 (05.12.2013 Gazette 2013/49) (54) PROCESSES FOR PREPARING LITHIUM CARBONATE VERFAHREN ZUR HERSTELLUNG VON LITHIUMCARBONAT PROCÉDÉS DE PRÉPARATION DE CARBONATE DE LITHIUM (84) Designated Contracting States: • PEARSE, Gary AL AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB Ottawa, Ontario K1M 1A3 (CA) GR HR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU LV MC MK MT NL NO • MACKIE, Stephen Charles PL PT RO RS SE SI SK SM TR Peterborough, Ontario K9L 1N3 (CA) Designated Extension States: • GLADKOVAS, Mykolas BA ME Toronto, Ontario M9P 2A7 (CA) (30) Priority: 30.05.2012 US 201261653035 P (74) Representative: Regimbeau 21.02.2013 US 201361767328 P 20, rue de Chazelles 75847 Paris Cedex 17 (FR) (43) Date of publication of application: 08.04.2015 Bulletin 2015/15 (56) References cited: WO-A1-2011/133165 CA-A1- 2 820 112 (73) Proprietor: Nemaska Lithium Inc. GB-A- 845 511 US-A1- 2011 123 427 Québec, Québec G1K 3X2 (CA) US-A1- 2011 200 508 (72) Inventors: • BOURASSA, Guy Québec, Québec G1C 7G2 (CA) Note: Within nine months of the publication of the mention of the grant of the European patent in the European Patent Bulletin, any person may give notice to the European Patent Office of opposition to that patent, in accordance with the Implementing Regulations. Notice of opposition shall not be deemed to have been filed until the opposition fee has been paid. (Art. 99(1) European Patent Convention). EP 2 855 735 B1 Printed by Jouve, 75001 PARIS (FR) EP 2 855 735 B1 Description [0001] The present disclosure claims the benefit of priority from co-pending U.S. provisional application no. 61/653,035 filed on May 30, 2012 and co-pending U.S. provisional application no. 61/767,328 filed on February 21, 2013, the contents 5 of each of which are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety. [0002] The present disclosure relates to improvements in the field of chemistry applied to the manufacture of lithium carbonate. For example, such processes are useful for preparing lithium carbonate from lithium-containing materials. For example, the disclosure also relates to the production of other lithium products such as lithium hydroxide and lithium sulphate. 10 [0003] The demand for lithium carbonate is growing rapidly. The market for lithium carbonate is expanding and the current world production capacity w ill likely not meet the expected increase in demand. For example, lithium carbonate is used as an additive in aluminum molten salt electrolysis and in enamels and glasses. Lithium carbonate can also be used to control manic depression, in the production of electronic grade crystals of lithium niobate, tantalate and fluoride as well as in the emerging technology of lithium batteries. 15 [0004] Lithium batteries have become the battery of choice in several existing and proposed new applications due to their high energy density to weight ratio, as well as their relatively long useful life when compared to other types of batteries. Lithium batteries are used for several applications such as laptop computers, cell phones, medical devices and implants (for example cardiac pacemakers). Lithium batteries are also an interesting option in the development of new automobiles, e.g., hybrid and electric vehicles, which are both environmentally friendly and "green" because of the 20 reduced emissions and decreased reliance on hydrocarbon fuels. [0005] High purity can be required for lithium carbonate that is used, for example, for various battery applications. There is a limited number of lithium carbonate producers. As a direct result of increased demand for lithium products, battery manufacturers are looking for additional and reliable sources of high quality lithium products, for example lithium carbonate. 25 [0006] Few methods have been proposed so far for preparing lithium carbonate. Lithium carbonate can be prepared, for example by using lithium-containing brines or using sea water. Some proposed methods involve several purifying steps of the produced lithium carbonate. For example, methods have been proposed that require precipitation with sodium carbonate and involve several purifying steps of the produced lithium carbonate. [0007] For example, US 2011/200508 discloses a method of producing high purity lithium carbonate wherein the main 30 objective of the carbonation step is to produce an aqueous solution comprising lithium bicarbonate. Indeed, the final product at the end of the process comes from the conversion of lithium bicarbonate into lithium carbonate by heating. GB845511 discloses improvements relating to the electrolytic production of metal hydroxides [0008] There is thus a need for providing an alternative to the existing solutions for preparing lithium carbonate. [0009] According to one aspect, there is provided a process for preparing lithium carbonate, the process comprising : 35 reacting an aqueous composition comprising lithium hydroxide with CO 2 by sparging the CO 2 into the composition, the sparging being carried out while pH is at least substantially maintained at a value of 10 to 11.5, thereby obtaining a slurry comprising the lithium carbonate; 40 inserting at least a portion of the slurry into a clarifier and obtaining a supernatant comprising lithium bicarbonate and a solid comprising the lithium carbonate, separating the solid from the supernatant; and heating the supernatant at a temperature of at least about 85 °C so as to at least partially convert the lithium bicarbonate into lithium carbonate. 45 [0010] The present description relates to a process for preparing lithium carbonate, the process comprising : submitting an aqueous composition comprising a lithium compound to an electrodialysis or electrolysis under con- ditions suitable for converting at least a portion of the lithium compound into lithium hydroxide, wherein during the 50 electrodialysis or electrolysis, the aqueous composition comprising the lithium compound is at least substantially maintained at a pH having a value of about 9.5 to about 12.5; and converting the lithium hydroxide into lithium carbonate. 55 [0011] The present description also relates to a process for preparing lithium carbonate, the process comprising : submitting an aqueous composition comprising a lithium compound to an electrodialysis or electrolysis under con- ditions suitable for converting at least a portion of the lithium compound into lithium hydroxide, wherein during the 2 EP 2 855 735 B1 electrodialysis or electrolysis, the aqueous composition comprising the lithium compound has a pH of greater than 7; and converting the lithium hydroxide into lithium carbonate. 5 [0012] The present description also relates to a process for preparing lithium carbonate, the process comprising leaching an acid roasted lithium-containing material with water so as to obtain an aqueous composition comprising Li+ and at least one metal ion; 10 reacting the aqueous composition comprising Li+ and the at least one metal ion with a base so as to obtain a pH of about 4.5 to about 6.5 and thereby at least partially precipitating the at least one metal ion under the form of at least one hydroxide so as to obtain a precipitate comprising the at least one hydroxide and an aqueous composition comprising Li+ and having a reduced content of the at least one metal ion, and separating the aqueous composition 15 from the precipitate; optionally reacting the aqueous composition comprising Li + and having the reduced content of the at least one metal ion with another base so as to obtain a pH of about 9.5 to about 11.5, and with optionally at least one metal carbonate, thereby at least partially precipitating at least one metal ion optionally under the form of at least one carbonate so 20 as to obtain a precipitate optionally comprising the at least one carbonate and an aqueous composition comprising Li+ and having a reduced content of the at least one metal ion, and separating the aqueous composition from the precipitate; contacting the aqueous composition comprising Li + and having a reduced content of the at least one metal ion with 25 an ion exchange resin so as to at least partially remove at least one metal ion from the composition, thereby obtaining an aqueous composition comprising a lithium compound; submitting the aqueous composition comprising the lithium compound to an electrodialysis or electrolysis under conditions suitable for converting at least a portion of the lithium compound into lithium hydroxide; and 30 converting the lithium hydroxide into lithium carbonate. [0013] The present description also relates to a process for preparing lithium carbonate, the process comprising 35 leaching a base-baked lithium-containing material with water so as to obtain an aqueous composition comprising Li+ and at least one metal ion; reacting the aqueous composition comprising Li+ and the at least one metal ion with a base so as to obtain a pH of about 4.5 to about 6.5 and thereby at least partially precipitating the at least one metal ion under the form of at least 40 one hydroxide so as to obtain a precipitate comprising the at least one hydroxide and an aqueous composition comprising Li+ and having a reduced content