摘要 |
A recovery process is disclosed for reclaiming the lithium content from aluminum-lithium alloy scrap including establishing a three-layered electrolytic cell comprising a most dense lowest layer of molten aluminum-lithium alloy, a middle layer of molten salt electrolyte, and an uppermost layer of molten aluminum-lithium; maintaining the lowest layer of molten aluminum-lithium alloy at a positive DC voltage with respect to the uppermost layer of molten lithium; establishing a current flow through the cell; establishing a specified composition in the molten salt electrolyte such that lithium in the lowest layer is electrochemically oxidized and passes into the molten salt electrolyte as lithium ions and further such that said lithium ions are electrochemically reduced and pass into the uppermost layer as lithium metal; and withdrawing lithium from the uppermost layer.
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