Abstract: A process for the recovery of lithium hydroxide from lithium sulfate containing solutions, the process characterised by the following method steps: precipitating ettringite from a lithium sulfate containing solution in a primary ettringite precipitation step (100); subsequent recovery of a liquor (7, 11) containing lithium hydroxide; and producing a lithium hydroxide monohydrate product (22) from the lithium hydroxide liquor (7, 11).

Abstract: An x-ray computed laminography imaging system includes a transmission x-ray source configured to generate x-rays, at least some of the x-rays propagate along an x-ray propagation axis through a region of interest of an object. The system further includes a stage assembly configured to rotate the object about a rotation axis extending through the region of interest. The system further includes at least one x-ray detector configured to intercept at least some of the x-rays propagating along the x-ray propagation axis. The at least one x-ray detector includes a scintillator, at least one optical lens, and two-dimensional pixelated imaging circuitry. The scintillator has a thickness that is substantially parallel to the x-ray propagation axis and the at least one optical lens is configured to receive visible light from the scintillator and to focus the visible light into a two-dimensional image.

Abstract: A method for the recovery of metals from a feed stream (1) containing one or more value metals, the method comprising: (i) passing the feed stream (1) to an alkaline leach (20) to form a slurry (5) including a pregnant leach liquor of soluble metal salts and a solid residue; (ii) separating the pregnant leach liquor (8) and the solid residue (7) of step (i); (iii) passing the separated pregnant leach liquor (8) of step (ii) to a solvent extraction step (42), wherein a loaded extractant (9) containing copper and nickel, and a raffinate (19) containing cobalt and lithium, are produced; (iv) recovering cobalt (24) from the raffinate (19) of step (iii); and (v) recovering lithium (38), ammonia (28) and ammonium chloride (39) from the cobalt depleted liquor (21) of step (iv).

Abstract: A process for the recovery of lithium carbonate from a solution (1) containing a mixture of lithium sulfate and lithium hydroxide, the process comprising the precipitation of lithium carbonate (3) from the solution (1) containing a mixture of lithium sulfate and lithium hydroxide through the addition of carbon dioxide (2).

Abstract: An x-ray computed laminography imaging system includes a transmission x-ray source configured to generate x-rays, at least some of the x-rays propagate along an x-ray propagation axis through a region of interest of an object. The system further includes a stage assembly configured to rotate the object about a rotation axis extending through the region of interest. The system further includes at least one x-ray detector configured to intercept at least some of the x-rays propagating along the x-ray propagation axis. The at least one x-ray detector includes a scintillator, at least one optical lens, and two-dimensional pixelated imaging circuitry. The scintillator has a thickness that is substantially parallel to the x-ray propagation axis and the at least one optical lens is configured to receive visible light from the scintillator and to focus the visible light into a two-dimensional image.

Abstract: A process for the recovery of lithium hydroxide from lithium sulfate containing solutions, the process characterised by the following method steps: precipitating ettringite from a lithium sulfate containing solution in a primary ettringite precipitation step (100); subsequent recovery of a liquor (7, 11) containing lithium hydroxide; and producing a lithium hydroxide monohydrate product (22) from the lithium hydroxide liquor (7, 11).

Abstract: A method to produce a brine from mixed alum salts, the method comprising the steps of: (i) Dissolving or pulping alum salts (1) containing rubidium alum, cesium alum and/or potassium alum in water or a recycled liquor and adding a neutralising agent to precipitate (20) aluminium as aluminium hydroxide and some sulfate; (ii) Passing the product of step (i) to a solid liquid separation stage (21) to remove precipitated solids (5) from step (i); (iii) A decant or filtrate (6) from step (ii) is passed to a solvent extraction stage (24-27) whereby any contained cesium and rubidium is selectively extracted into the organic phase to form a loaded organic solution (16); (iv) Contacting the loaded organic solution (16) of step (iii) with a scrub solution (17), which is at a pH lower than the extraction pH, to effectively scrub co-loaded potassium from the organic phase; (v) Contacting the scrubbed organic (19) of step (iv) with formic acid (20) to strip cesium and rubidium from the organic, the stripped cesium and rub

Abstract: A system assigns a byte value to document identifiers in a table. The table includes forward and secondary indexes referenced in key/value pairs of the table, and the keys of the key/value pairs each include a document identifier. The system defines byte ranges, and each of the byte ranges includes a byte value of one of the byte values assigned to the document identifiers. Document identifiers are located in the table using their associated byte values. Keys of the located document identifiers are modified to include a reference to a byte range that encompasses the byte value associated each of the identified document identifiers.

Abstract: A process for the recovery of lithium from minerals rich in lithium and phosphate, the process comprising passing an ore containing one or more minerals rich in lithium and phosphate to an acid leach step thereby producing a pregnant leach solution, subjecting the pregnant leach solution to a series of process steps by which one or more impurity elements are removed, and recovering lithium as a lithium containing salt product, wherein the series of process steps by which one or more impurity elements are removed includes a low pH impurity removal step conducted at an elevated temperature for the precipitation of one or more impurities.

Abstract: A method of ordering multiple resources in a transaction includes receiving a transaction for a plurality of resources and determining, for each resource, the work embodied by the transaction. The work includes at least one identified parameter relating to an operation for the resource. The method further may include specifying an order of the resources according to the determination of the work, committing the transaction, and invoking the resources in the selected order. Specifying the order of the resources may include specifying the resource to be invoked last. Alternatively, or additionally, specifying the order of the resources also may include specifying that each resource carrying out read-only work be invoked first.

Abstract: A process for the recovery of lithium from lithium bearing mica rich minerals, the process comprising passing an ore containing one or more lithium bearing mica rich minerals to at least one pre-treatment step, passing the pre-treated ore to an acid leach step thereby producing a pregnant leach solution, subjecting the pregnant leach solution to a series of process steps in which one or more impurity metals are removed, and recovering lithium as a lithium containing salt product.

Abstract: A process for the recovery of lithium from minerals rich in lithium and phosphate, the process comprising passing an ore containing one or more minerals rich in lithium and phosphate to an acid leach step thereby producing a pregnant leach solution, subjecting the pregnant leach solution to a series of process steps by which one or more impurity elements are removed, and recovering lithium as a lithium containing salt product, wherein the series of process steps by which one or more impurity elements are removed includes a low pH impurity removal step conducted at an elevated temperature for the precipitation of one or more impurities.

Abstract: A method of ordering multiple resources in a transaction includes receiving a transaction for a plurality of resources and determining, for each resource, the work embodied by the transaction. The work includes at least one identified parameter relating to an operation for the resource. The method further may include specifying an order of the resources according to the determination of the work, committing the transaction, and invoking the resources in the selected order. Specifying the order of the resources may include specifying the resource to be invoked last. Alternatively, or additionally, specifying the order of the resources also may include specifying that each resource carrying out read-only work be invoked first.

Abstract: A method of ordering multiple resources in a transaction includes receiving a transaction for a plurality of resources and determining, for each resource, the work embodied by the transaction. The method further may include specifying an order of the resources according to the determination of the work, committing the transaction, and invoking the resources in the specified order. Specifying the order of the resources may include specifying the resource to be invoked last. Alternatively, or additionally, specifying the order of the resources also may include specifying that each resource carrying out read-only work be invoked first.

Abstract: A method for the processing of potassium containing materials comprises: (i) Separation of a potassium containing mineral from gangue minerals; (ii) Acid leaching whereby substantially all potassium, iron, aluminum and magnesium is solubilized and mixed potassium/iron double salt formed; (iii) Selectively crystallizing the mixed potassium/iron double salt formed in the leach step (ii); (iv) Second separation to separate the mixed potassium/iron double salt formed in step (iii); (v) Thermal decomposition to produce an iron oxide, a potassium salt and one or more phosphates; (vi) Leaching the product of the thermal decomposition; (vii) Third separation to separate the iron oxide and phosphate from the potassium salt; (viii) Recovering the potassium salt by crystallization; (ix) Separating the iron oxide and phosphate of step (vii) by leaching and subsequent solid liquid separation; and (x) Precipitating phosphate from liquor produced in step (ix) through the addition of a base.

Abstract: A method for the processing of potassium containing materials comprises: (i) Separation of a potassium containing mineral from gangue minerals; (ii) Acid leaching whereby substantially all potassium, iron, aluminium and magnesium is solubilised and mixed potassium/iron double salt formed; (iii) Selectively crystallising the mixed potassium/iron double salt formed in the leach step (ii); (iv) Second separation to separate the mixed potassium/iron double salt formed in step (iii); (v) Thermal decomposition to produce an iron oxide, a potassium salt and one or more phosphates; (vi) Leaching the product of the thermal decomposition; (vii) Third separation to separate the iron oxide and phosphate from the potassium salt; (viii) Recovering the potassium salt by crystallisation; (ix) Separating the iron oxide and phosphate of step (vii) by leaching and subsequent solid liquid separation; and (x) Precipitating phosphate from liquor produced in step (ix) through the addition of a base.

Abstract: A process for the recovery of lithium from lithium bearing mica rich minerals, the process comprising passing an ore containing one or more lithium bearing mica rich minerals to at least one pre-treatment step, passing the pre-treated ore to an acid leach step thereby producing a pregnant leach solution, subjecting the pregnant leach solution to a series of process steps in which one or more impurity metals are removed, and recovering lithium as a lithium containing salt product.

Abstract: A method and system are provided for concurrent message processing. The system includes: an input queue capable of receiving multiple messages in a given order; an intermediary for processing the messages; and an output queue for releasing the messages from the intermediary. Means are provided for retrieving a message from an input queue for processing at the intermediary and starting a transaction under which the message is to be processed. The intermediate logic processes the transactions in parallel and a transaction management means ensures that the messages are released to the output queue in the order of the messages in the input queue.

Abstract: A pump for one or more different process fluids is provided including a pumping chamber having a process fluid inlet and outlet coupled to a process fluid valve on each pumping chamber for selectively preventing and allowing flow of process fluid through the pumping chamber. An actuation mechanism for pumping actuating fluid to actuating fluid chambers is provided that is in communication with the actuating fluid chambers to permit flow into each actuating fluid chamber of incompressible actuating fluid. A diaphragm separates each pumping chamber from an associated actuating fluid chamber for separating process fluid from actuating fluid. The actuation mechanism is removable by a quick disconnect that provides for disconnection of the activation mechanism without affecting process fluid. Operation of the actuation mechanism to displace actuating fluid causes actuating fluid to flow only into each actuating fluid chamber having an opened process fluid valve, resulting in pumping.

Abstract: A pump for one or more different process fluids is provided including a pumping chamber having a process fluid inlet and outlet coupled to a process fluid valve on each pumping chamber for selectively preventing and allowing flow of process fluid through the pumping chamber. An actuation mechanism for pumping actuating fluid to actuating fluid chambers is provided that is in communication with the actuating fluid chambers to permit flow into each actuating fluid chamber of incompressible actuating fluid. A diaphragm separates each pumping chamber from an associated actuating fluid chamber for separating process fluid from actuating fluid. The actuation mechanism is removable by a quick disconnect that provides for disconnection of the activation mechanism without affecting process fluid. Operation of the actuation mechanism to displace actuating fluid causes actuating fluid to flow only into each actuating fluid chamber having an opened process fluid valve, resulting in pumping.