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Investigation of Mass Transfer Coefficients in Lithium Liquid-Liquid Extraction Process in Batch and Continuous Modes (Microchannel)

Bahadri, Mohammad Mehdi | 2025

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  1. Type of Document: M.Sc. Thesis
  2. Language: Farsi
  3. Document No: 58174 (46)
  4. University: Sharif University of Technology
  5. Department: Energy Engineering
  6. Advisor(s): Otokesh, Mohammad; Amari Allahyari, Sareh; Zaheri, Parisa
  7. Abstract:
  8. Lithium is a soft, silvery-white alkali metal that is recognized as the lightest metal and the least dense solid element. The increasing demand for lithium, driven by the global shift towards electrification and sustainable energy solutions, has transformed this material into a crucial resource in the modern economy. Lithium has applications in various industries, including the nuclear industry. 6Li is used for the production of tritium, and 7Li, in the form of 7LiOH, is used to adjust the pH in light water reactors and as an anti-corrosion compound in fission reactors. In this study, the extraction of lithium from the aqueous phase using a Y-shaped microchannel was carried out, and the mass transfer parameters were investigated to optimize the performance in the microchannel. Therefore, experiments were initially conducted in a batch system to determine the type and concentration of the extractant and solvent, the initial concentration of salts present in the feed, and pH adjustment. Subsequently, the effect of various operating parameters, including changes in the flow rate of the two phases and the ratio of the flow rates of the two phases on the mass transfer of lithium from the aqueous phase to the organic phase in the microchannel system, was investigated. Finally, the optimal conditions obtained in the batch process include a 40% volume tributyl phosphate solvent and a 60% volume anisole diluent, and a feed with a magnesium concentration of 3.5 molar, 0.02 molar hydrochloric acid, and an iron to lithium ratio of 2. The optimal conditions obtained in the batch process were used in 3 different microchannels, under which the effect of 3 parameters, namely the flow rate of the two streams, the ratio of the flow rates, and the lithium concentration on the mass transfer coefficient were investigated, and the optimal values obtained for the continuous process include a spiral microchannel, a flow rate of 20 microliters per minute, an aqueous to organic phase ratio of one to one, and a lithium concentration of 300 mg/L with an extraction efficiency of 76%
  9. Keywords:
  10. Lithium ; Solvent Extraction ; Flow Patterns ; Microchannel ; Mass Transfer Coefficient ; Liquid-Liquid Mass Transfer

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