Method of lithium recovery

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS FOR THE RECOVERY OF LITHIUM VALUES FROM AN AQUEOUS BRINE SOLUTION CONTAINING DISSOLVED LITHIUM VALUES, BY TREATING SAID SOLUTION WITH A HYDRATED ALUMINUM OXIDE THEREBY TO PRECIPITATE A LITHIUM ALUMINATE COMPLEX THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES: (A) TREATING AND AGITATING SAID AQUEOUS BRINE SOLUTION CONTAINING SAID LITHIUM VALUES IN A REACTOR WITH A HYDRATED ALUMINUM OXIDE TO REACT WITH THE LITHIUM PRESENT IN THE RESULTING REACTION MIXTURE, SAID SOLUTION HAVING A PH VALUE IN THE RANGE OF FROM ABOUT 4.5 TO ABOUT 5.4 AND A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF FROM ABOUT 45*C. TO ABOUT 100*C. THEREBY TO PRECIPITATE AS A LITHIUM ALUMINATE COMPLEX A MAJOR PORTION OF THE LITHIUM VALUES PRESENT IN SAID SOLUTION WITHOUT CONCOMITANTLY PRECIPITATING SUBSTANTIAL QUANTITIES OF OTHER SALT PRESENT IN SAID SOLUTION; (B) RECIRCULATING THE RESULTING AQUEOUS SLURRY OF SAID LITHIUM AUMINATE COMPLEX PRECIPITATE IN SAID BRINE IN THE REACTOR; (C) CONTINUING TO RECIRCULATE SAID LITHIUM ALUMINATE PRECIPITATE SLURRY WHILE INTERMIXING AND AGITATING SAID SLURRY WITH ADDITIONAL QUANTITIES OF SAID BRINE AND HYDRATED ALUMINUM OXIDE TO PROVIDE A FINAL PRODUCT SLURRY HAVING SAID LITHIUM ALUMINATE COMPLEX PRECIPITATE IN GRANULAR FORM, SAID FINAL PRODUCT SLURRY HAVING A FILTERING RATE OF AT LEAST 0.5 GALLON PER MINUTE PER SQUARE FOOT OR FILTER AREA; AND (D) REMOVING SAID PRECIPITATE OF LITHIUM ALUMINATE COMPLEX FROM SAID FINAL PRODUCT SLURRY.