Coupled reaction and solvent extraction process to form Li₂CO₃: Mechanism and product characterization

A coupled reaction and solvent extraction process to produce Li 2 CO 3 from LiCl and CO 2 is proposed. The aqueous reaction occurs with difficulty and is not spontaneous at 298 K. To ensure the continuous reaction between LiCl and CO 2 to produce Li 2 CO 3 , it is necessary to remove HCl. Experiments conducted in an open reactor at room‐temperature showed that the product sample was pure Li 2 CO 3 with a particle‐size distribution in two regions and a larger number of small crystals. The large and small crystals were obtained by radial growth in the free aqueous phase and in water‐in‐oil structures with growth space constraints, respectively. Factors influencing the particle‐size distribution and Li 2 CO 3 morphology were investigated. A short reaction time, large phase ratio (O/A), low–temperature, and surfactant addition (TritonX‐100) can increase the number of small particle crystals and reduce the number and volume of large particle crystals.