Patent ID: 11952643
Assignee: UMICORE
Field: Materials, metallurgy (Chemistry)
Classification: CPC C  H  Y | IPC C  H

Claim 0:
1. A process for concentrating lithium in metallurgical fumes comprises:
providing a metallurgical molten bath furnace;
preparing a metallurgical charge comprising lithium-bearing material, transition metals, and fluxing agents;
smelting the metallurgical charge and fluxing agents in reducing conditions in said furnace, thereby obtaining a molten bath with an alloy phase and a slag phase; and,
optionally separating the alloy phase and the slag phase;
wherein a major part of the lithium is fumed as LiCl from the slag phase of the molten bath, by addition of alkali and/or alkaline earth chloride to the process.