Feb 11 (Reuters) - Albemarle, the world's largest producer of lithium, said on Wednesday it swung to a quarterly loss largely due to charges tied to the upcoming sale of its Ketjen refining catalyst business.

For the quarter ended December 31, the company posted a net loss of $455.9 million, or $3.87 per share, compared to a net profit of $33.6 million, or 29 cents per share, in the year-ago quarter.

(Reporting by Ernest Scheyder; Editing by Chris Reese)