Synthesis of lithium ion selective porous phenolic microsphere adsorbents with lithium manganese oxide (LMO) by template and their lithium ion adsorption properties

This study involves the synthesis of a phenolic porous LMO (lithium manganese oxide) adsorbent by the polycondensation method and the preparation of porous LMO microsphere adsorbent with a spinel structure by the carbonization method. The structure of the porous LMO precursor was confirmed, and the crystalline structure, compressive strength, BET surface area, morphology, and acid resistance of the porous adsorbent were analyzed by XRD, UTM, BET surface area, and SEM. The crystalline structure of the adsorbent was spinel, and the carbonized surface had a wrinkled structure. The specific surface was 97.9–120.0 m2/g, and the compressive strength decreased to 2.4–9.7 MPa as the LMO content increased. In addition, the adsorbent was stable against acid due to its cross-linked structure. In pure solution, the breakthrough of lithium was at over 8 hours, which was more rapid than that of the onewith LMO powder adsorbent. Moreover, the selective breakthrough of lithium from artificial seawater occurred after 6 hours, selectivity was very high at greater than 90%, and the desorption rate was faster than that of the LMO for the LMO powder adsorbent. As a result, the selective adsorption of lithium from seawater had a high economic efficiency.[graphic not available: see fulltext]