Lithium-based alloy and method of producing the same

Abstract

A lithium (Li)-based alloy and a preparation method thereof are disclosed, in which the lithium metal is wrapped by a metal foil with a higher melting point, followed by subjecting to multi-stage thermal treatment to cast alloy, thereby obtaining the Li-based alloy with high purity-Li.

1 . A method of producing lithium-based alloy, comprising:
 wrapping lithium metal by using a metal foil for forming a wrapped lithium metal, wherein the metal foil includes a material of a high-melting-point metal having a higher melting point than a melting point of the lithium metal;   heating a raw material and the wrapped lithium metal respectively to a first temperature, wherein the raw material includes the material of the high-melting-point metal, and the first temperature is between the melting points of the metal foil and the lithium metal;   mixing the wrapped lithium metal with the raw material at the first temperature, so as to form a metal mixture;   heating the metal mixture to a second temperature, wherein the second temperature is higher than the melting point of the high-melting-point metal, so as to form an molten alloy;   mixing the molten alloy at the second temperature; and   cooling down the alloy for forming a lithium-based alloy, wherein the lithium-based alloy is a β-phase lithium-based alloy, and the lithium metal has a weight loss rate of equal to or less than 1 percent.   
     
     
         2 . The method of producing lithium-based alloy of  claim 1 , wherein the high-melting-point metal comprises at least two different metals of aluminum, magnesium, manganese, zirconium, zinc, titanium, scandium, yttrium, copper, silver or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         3 . The method of producing lithium-based alloy of  claim 1 , wherein the second temperature is 80° C. to 100° C. higher than the melting point of the high-melting-point metal. 
     
     
         4 . The method of producing lithium-based alloy of  claim 1 , wherein the raw material further comprises another metal, and the another metal includes a material different from the high-melting-point metal. 
     
     
         5 . The method of producing lithium-based alloy of  claim 4 , wherein the first temperature is between two lower melting points of the lithium metal, the high-melting-point metal and the another metal. 
     
     
         6 . The method of producing lithium-based alloy of  claim 4 , wherein the second temperature is higher than the highest melting point of the lithium metal, the high-melting-point metal and the another metal. 
     
     
         7 . The method of producing lithium-based alloy of  claim 4 , wherein the second temperature is 80° C. to 100° C. higher than the highest melting point of the lithium metal, the high-melting-point metal and the another metal. 
     
     
         8 . The method of producing lithium-based alloy of  claim 1 , wherein the raw material further comprises a non-metal material. 
     
     
         9 . The method of producing lithium-based alloy of  claim 8 , wherein the non-metal material comprises silicon.