Lithium (Li), an exceptional cathode material used in rechargeable batteries, is an essential element in modern energy production and storage devices. Extraction of lithium by processing minerals, brine, or sea water produces technical-grade Li2CO₃. To upgrade the purity to electrochemical grade, there are several purification processes. Diana will show the carbonation process, during which the technical-grade Li2CO₃ is subjected to carbonation with gaseous CO₂ at elevated temperature and pressure to solubilize the lithium as LiHCO₃. LiHCO₃ is then heated at 90⁰C to precipitate lithium as Li2CO₃ with 99.95% purity. The released CO₂ is recycled for reuse.
