Adsorption of Lithium from Shale Gas Produced Water Using Titanium Based Adsorbent

Lithium is a valuable metal that has been recovered from synthetic shale gas produced water using the titanium-based adsorbent H2TiO3 in this study. The maximum adsorptive capacity of lithium obtained was 2.58 mmol/g after adsorption–desorption tests, and the recovery rate of Li+ was much higher than those of the other cations in the produced water when used with a pH buffer. To enhance the adsorptive capacity and selectivity of lithium, the precipitation process using sodium carbonate was applied prior to adsorption. More than 96% of the divalent cations such as barium, calcium, and strontium were precipitated. From the precipitation–adsorption–desorption test, the lithium desorption capacity obtained for the produced water was 3.61 mmol/g, with a higher selectivity compared to the other cations. Thus, adsorption using a titanium-based adsorbent might be a promising method for lithium recovery from shale gas produced water, when used in conjunction with precipitation.