NOVELTY - A composition for recovery of lithium from a lithium containing solution comprises a substrate having lithium aluminum intercalate coating applied to its surface, where the coating is applied by contacting a polyaluminum hydroxyl halide solution and the substrate in the presence of alkali metal hydroxide, to precipitate the lithium aluminum intercalate onto the substrate surface.    USE - As composition for recovery of lithium from lithium containing solution such as brines, geothermal brines; salar (salt flat) brines, continental brines, including Smackover brines, oilfield brines, and high ionic strength solutions.    ADVANTAGE - The compositions provide selective and efficient recovery of lithium from lithium containing brines (i.e. recovery of at least 95% of the lithium present in a solution) that are easy to use, have a high capacity for the recovery of lithium, and have a long service life.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - INDEPENDENT CLAIMS are included for the following:    (1) method (M1) for preparing a composition for the recovery of lithium from a lithium containing solution involving providing a particle substrate; contacting the substrate with poly aluminum hydroxyl halide to form an alumina coated particle substrate; and intercalating a lithium salt into the alumina coating on the particle substrate to form a lithium aluminum intercalate; and    (2) method (M2) for the removal and recovery of lithium from a lithium containing solution involving contacting the lithium containing solution with a granular extraction material, where the granular extraction material comprises a porous inorganic substrate having a lithium aluminum intercalate coating applied on it, and the step of contacting the lithium containing solution and the lithium aluminum intercalate coated substrate results in the removal of at least a portion of the lithium present in the lithium containing solution and the capture of the lithium by the coating; and recovering the captured lithium by washing the granular extraction material with a wash water.