Extraction of lithium from sea water with metallic aluminum.

Abstract

Extraction of lithium from sea water was investigated. It was found that a corrosion product of metallic aluminum immersed in sea water extracts lithium from it selectively. Effects of the temperature and the pH of sea water, and of the initial concentration of lithium in it were examined. On the basis of the analysis of the surface deposit on aluminum, which is a corrosion product of aluminum, the selectivity coefficients were calculated. For the extraction of lithium from natural sea water, the values of(formula omitted)were 9.9xl02, 1.1x10, 4.5x10 and 4.4 x102, respectively. © 1980, Atomic Energy Society of Japan. All rights reserved.