Fine crystallization purification of mother liquors for the growth of α-LiIO₃ single crystals

Abstract

We analyze the problems encountered in the additional purification of mother liquors and the possibility of optimizing this process, using mother liquor for the crystal growth of lithium iodate, α-LiIO₃, as a model system. The ability of some crystals, e.g., those of hexagonal lithium iodate, to absorb cation impurities from the mother liquor during growth, confirmed by experimental evidence, is used to develop a process for controlled fine purification of mother liquors. Using crystallization onto single-crystal plates of the same composition as the macrocomponent in solution, one can achieve the desired purity of the mother liquor in terms of cation microimpurities. We propose a routine procedure for calculating the desired degree of crystallization (using known values of λ), which makes it possible to achieve essentially any purity of mother liquors in terms of cation microimpurities.