Development of Hybrid Process for Simultaneous Recovery of Lithium and Boron from Geothermal Water

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16H04555
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Properties in chemical engineering process/Transfer operation/Unit operation
• Research Institution: The University of Kitakyushu
• Principal Investigator: Yoshizuka Kazuharu 北九州市立大学, 国際環境工学部, 教授 (70191567)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 西浜 章平 北九州市立大学, 国際環境工学部, 教授 (00347668)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 吸着 / 電気透析 / 地熱水 / リチウム / ホウ素

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Hybrid process for selective recovery of lithium and boron from geothermal water together with direct production of lithium hydroxide and boric acid was developed by combining the chromatographic recovery of lithium and boron using the adsorbents and the bipolar electrodialysis process. The study was conducted (1) Recovery of lithium tetraborate from geothermal water using lithium adsorbent and boron adsorbent, (2) Separation and recovery of lithium tetraborate from geothermal water using an adsorption column connected with a lithium adsorption column and a boron adsorption column, and (3) simultaneous and direct production of lithium hydroxide and boric acid using a bipolar electrodialysis method from lithium tetraborate recovered from geothermal water.

Free Research Field

分離プロセス工学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究の学術的意義は、地熱水から高付加価値なレアメタル資源を同時採取可能な分離回収プロセスを開発するとともに、我が国オリジナルの技術であるバイポーラ電気透析法を用いた生成物への直接変換と濃縮プロセスを組み合わせたハイブリッドプロセスを開発したことである。また、社会的意義は、未利用資源である地熱水から国産のレアメタルを回収することによって我が国の資源確保問題の解決に貢献できることである。