METHOD OF PRODUCING LITHIUM HYDROXIDE FROM BRINES AND PLANT FOR METHOD EMBODIMENT Russian patent published in 2002 - IPC

FIELD: lithium hydrometallurgy; applicable in production of lithium compounds from natural brines. SUBSTANCE: lithium from natural brines is recovered with the help of sorption-desorption column by selective sorption of lithium chloride on inorganic aluminum-containing sorbent LiCl•2Al(OH)₃•mH₂O with its subsequent desorption by desalinized solution of lithium chloride. Content of impurities in the form of magnesium and calcium chlorides in obtained eluate - solution of lithium chloride is not more 0.5 g/l that is lower by a factor of 100-1000 than their concentration in initial brine. Eluate is subjected to ion-exchange on Li-cationite that reduced content of said impurities to 0.001-0.003 g/l. Purified eluate is used for conversion of LiCl into LiOH on plant consisting of electrolyzer-converter and electrodialyzer-desalinizer that makes it possible to obtain solution of lithium hydroxide with content of LiOH up to 80-120 g/l and to return desalinized solution of LiCl to process of lithium desorption. Technical result consists in reduction of content of chloride impurities in commercial monohydrate of lithium hydroxide not more 0.003%. EFFECT: higher efficiency. 9 cl, 4 dwg