An earpiece auditory device is provided. The earpiece auditory device includes a behind-the-ear component (30). The behind-the-ear component being shaped to fit behind an ear of a user. The behind-the-ear component includes a module (33) that includes processing circuitry. The earpiece auditory device also includes a completely-in-canal component (10), the completely-in-canal component being shaped to fit into the ear canal of the user in such a manner as to touch the bony portion of the ear canal of the user. The completely-in-canal component includes an ear mold (11). The earpiece auditory device includes a connector (20) physically coupling the behind-the-ear component to the completely-in-canal component. The connector (20) includes at least one end detachably coupled to the behind-the-ear component or the completely-in-canal component.

Bte/cic auditory device and modular connector system therefor

Lithium is the principal component of high-energy-density batteries and is a critical material necessary for the economy and security of the United States. Brines from geothermal power production have been identified as a potential domestic source of lithium; however, lithium-rich geothermal brines are characterized by complex chemistry, high salinity, and high temperatures, which pose unique challenges for economic lithium extraction. The purpose of this paper is to examine and analyze direct lithium extraction technology in the context of developing sustainable lithium production from geothermal brines. In this paper, we are focused on the challenges of applying direct lithium extraction technology to geothermal brines; however, applications to other brines (such as coproduced brines from oil wells) are considered. The most technologically advanced approach for direct lithium extraction from geothermal brines is adsorption of lithium using inorganic sorbents. Other separation processes include extraction using solvents, sorption on organic resin and polymer materials, chemical precipitation, and membrane-dependent processes. The Salton Sea geothermal field in California has been identified as the most significant lithium brine resource in the US and past and present efforts to extract lithium and other minerals from Salton Sea brines were evaluated. Extraction of lithium with inorganic molecular sieve ion-exchange sorbents appears to offer the most immediate pathway for the development of economic lithium extraction and recovery from Salton Sea brines. Other promising technologies are still in early development, but may one day offer a second generation of methods for direct, selective lithium extraction. Initial studies have demonstrated that lithium extraction and recovery from geothermal brines are technically feasible, but challenges still remain in developing an economically and environmentally sustainable process at scale.

Technology for the Recovery of Lithium from Geothermal Brines

A high performance optical imaging system can be provided by minimizing the overlapping degree m, increasing the quantity of light of the rod lens array and improving the resolving power while taking into account the irregularity of the quantity of light when a dislocation between a sensor and an optical axis of an entire rod lens array occurs. In the optical imaging system, a plurality of rod lenses with a refractive index distribution in the radial direction are arranged in two rows in a rod lens array with their optical axes in parallel to each other. This optical imaging system focuses light from a manuscript plane onto an image plane, the planes being arranged on the two sides of the rod lens array. The overlapping degree m defined as the following equation (Eq. 10) is in a range of 0.91≦m≦1.01; m=X 0 /2R   (Eq. 10) wherein X 0 denotes an image radius that the rod lenses project onto the image plane and 2R denotes a distance between the optical axes of neighboring rod lenses.

Optical imaging system

This invention relates to a method for the preparation of lithium carbonate from lithium chloride containing brines. The method can include a silica removal step, capturing lithium chloride, recovering lithium chloride, supplying lithium chloride to an electrochemical cell and producing lithium hydroxide, contacting the lithium hydroxide with carbon dioxide to produce lithium carbonate.

Preparation Of Lithium Carbonate From Lithium Chloride Containing Brines

This invention relates to a particulate extraction material for the extraction of lithium from a geothermal brine or lithium containing solution. The particulate material includes an inorganic or polymer based substrate that includes a lithium aluminum intercalate layer applied to the exterior of the substrate, wherein the lithium aluminum intercalate layer is operable to capture lithium ions from solution.

Lithium Extraction Composition and Method of Preparation Thereof

In a rod lens array in which a plurality of rod lenses each having a refractive-index distribution in the radial direction are arranged in one row such that the optical axes are parallel to each other, and in a life-size imaging optical apparatus using the rod lens array, the outside diameter of each rod lens is such that 0.05 mm≦R≦0.25 mm and 0.5R≦r 0 ≦1.0R (2R: the distance between the optical axes of adjacent rod lenses and r 0 : the radius of the effective area of each rod lens that provides a lens action) and the degree of overlap m defined by m=x 0 /2R is such that 1.61≦m≦1.80 or 2.06≦m≦2.50 where X 0 is the view radius of a single rod lens which is given by X 0 =-r 0 /cos(Z 0 π/P).

Rod lens array and life-size imaging optical apparatus using the same

It was reported in our previous work that activated alumina had been successfully applied to selective adsorption of lithium ions in molten NaNO3 at a high temperature. In the present work, the activated alumina samples were prepared by heat treatment of commercially available alumina sol at different temperatures. Their physical properties were measured, then their adsorption uptake of lithium ions were evaluated. Amorphous alumina showed higher adsorption uptake of lithium ions than any other phases of alumina and the uptake increased in proportion to the surface area of activated alumina. The lithium ion uptake per unit surface area varied slightly with the phase of alumina, implying that the surface microstructure of each activated alumina has a different adsorptive capability for lithium ions. Since the mean pore radius of each activated alumina sample was at least forty times larger than the ionic radius of lithium, it may be concluded that there is little effect of the pore size on adsorptive capabilities for lithium ions.

Dependence of Adsorptive Capability for Lithium Ions in Molten Salt on Surface Properties of Activated Alumina

Selective adsorption of lithium ions from molten NaNO3 containing a slight amount of lithium ions was examined using various inorganic adsorbents. Consequently, activated alumina was found to be the most promising adsorbent for adsorption of lithium ions because of its high recovery. Adsorption by activated alumina involved chemisorption with the activation energy of 70.7kJ/mol. It was confirmed that activated alumina showed high stability when mixed with molten salt because no changes of specific pore volume, surface area, or pore size distribution were observed throughout adsorption at high temperatures. Since the adsorption of lithium ions by activated alumina obeyed Freundlich's equation, it was found that the adsorption can be treated as that of lithium ions in dilute solution. The enrichment of lithium ions on activated alumina was much higher than that of sodium ions, indicating that the selective adsorption of lithium ions from molten salt by activated alumina is feasible.

Kiyosumi Fujii

Papers

Rod lens array and life-size imaging optical apparatus using the same

Dependence of Adsorptive Capability for Lithium Ions in Molten Salt on Surface Properties of Activated Alumina

Selective Adsorption of Lithium Ions from Molten Salt by Activated Alumina