Researchers Develop New Lithium Extraction Method With 'Nearly Double the Performance' (pv-magazine.com) 18
PV Magazine reports:
Researchers in Australia and China have developed an innovative technology enabling direct lithium extraction from difficult-to-process sources like saltwater, which they say represents a substantial portion of the world's lithium potential.
Until now, up to 75% of the world's lithium-rich saltwater sources have remained untapped because of technical limitations, but given predictions that global lithium supply could fall short of demand as early as 2025, the researchers believe they have a game-changing solution. Their technology is a type of nanofiltration system that uses ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, or EDTA, as a chelating agent to selectively separate lithium from other minerals, especially magnesium, which is often present in brines and difficult to remove.
"With some predicting global lithium supply could fall short of demand as early as 2025, the innovative technology sets a new standard in lithium processing," writes SciTechDaily: The work, co-led by Dr Zhikao Li, from the Monash Suzhou Research Institute and the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, and Professor Xiwang Zhang from the University of Queensland, promises to meet the surging demand for lithium and paves the way for more sustainable and efficient extraction practices... "Our technology achieves 90 percent lithium recovery, nearly double the performance of traditional methods, while dramatically reducing the time required for extraction from years to mere weeks," Dr. Li said.
The technology also turns leftover magnesium into a valuable, high-quality product that can be sold, reducing waste and its impact on the environment. Beyond its advanced efficiency, the EALNF system brings innovation to address major environmental concerns associated with lithium extraction. Unlike conventional methods that deplete vital water resources in arid regions, the technology produces freshwater as a by-product.
Dr Li said the system was flexible and ready for large-scale use, meaning it can quickly expand from testing to full industrial operations. "This breakthrough is crucial for avoiding a future lithium shortage, making it possible to access lithium from hard-to-reach sources and helping power the shift to clean energy."
"Our scalable process minimizes environmental impact while maximizing resource utilization," according to the researchers' article in Nature Sustainability, "thereby catalysing the shift toward a more sustainable future."
Thanks to long-time Slashdot reader schwit1 for sharing the news.
Until now, up to 75% of the world's lithium-rich saltwater sources have remained untapped because of technical limitations, but given predictions that global lithium supply could fall short of demand as early as 2025, the researchers believe they have a game-changing solution. Their technology is a type of nanofiltration system that uses ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, or EDTA, as a chelating agent to selectively separate lithium from other minerals, especially magnesium, which is often present in brines and difficult to remove.
"With some predicting global lithium supply could fall short of demand as early as 2025, the innovative technology sets a new standard in lithium processing," writes SciTechDaily: The work, co-led by Dr Zhikao Li, from the Monash Suzhou Research Institute and the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, and Professor Xiwang Zhang from the University of Queensland, promises to meet the surging demand for lithium and paves the way for more sustainable and efficient extraction practices... "Our technology achieves 90 percent lithium recovery, nearly double the performance of traditional methods, while dramatically reducing the time required for extraction from years to mere weeks," Dr. Li said.
The technology also turns leftover magnesium into a valuable, high-quality product that can be sold, reducing waste and its impact on the environment. Beyond its advanced efficiency, the EALNF system brings innovation to address major environmental concerns associated with lithium extraction. Unlike conventional methods that deplete vital water resources in arid regions, the technology produces freshwater as a by-product.
Dr Li said the system was flexible and ready for large-scale use, meaning it can quickly expand from testing to full industrial operations. "This breakthrough is crucial for avoiding a future lithium shortage, making it possible to access lithium from hard-to-reach sources and helping power the shift to clean energy."
"Our scalable process minimizes environmental impact while maximizing resource utilization," according to the researchers' article in Nature Sustainability, "thereby catalysing the shift toward a more sustainable future."
Thanks to long-time Slashdot reader schwit1 for sharing the news.
Price? (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3)
If it's really twice as efficient at extraction, and it's faster, and it produces additional saleable byproducts, then it would at a minimum need to be more than twice as expensive before it was not economically viable.
So there's your comparison point if we find the required cost data.
Re: (Score:2)
More suspiciously it also produces freshwater as a byproduct.
Not saying this isn't viable but mining *salt* flats to get a mineral and also happening to produce the very thing copiously absent from salt flats (fresh water) seems a bit rainbow unicorn poopin' levels of hopium.
Haven't read it, frankly wouldn't understand it if I did so there's that. Maybe magic is real in this scenario?
Re:Price? (Score:4, Interesting)
Typically to get lithium you're filtering it from a brine. While I'm not an expert, I believe the brine is created by pumping IN a lot of water to dissolve as much mineral content in the ground as possible, then the water is evaporated to create concentrated brine that is then filtered for what you are trying to acquire and this leaves you with fairly toxic water afterwards (water with very high concentrations of stuff in it, excluding the lithium you removed).
It seems to me that if they're saying the process leaves you with fresh water... they have a significantly better filtering system. They'd still be far better off pumping it straight back into the ground for the next extraction round than selling it and having to buy more water from the local municipal system.
But again, not an expert, could be completely misunderstanding the process.
Re: (Score:2)
[suspicious_fry.jpg meme] (Score:2)
I couldn't count how many times I've heard that one before and then *poof* never heard of the thing again.
See: sodium-ion batteries. As in, I believed it when cars using them started going on sale, not before.
Re: (Score:3)
Re: (Score:2)
You know you can order sodium ion batteries off Amazon, yeah?
Re: (Score:2)
> See: sodium-ion batteries. As in, I believed it when cars using them started going on sale, not before
Well you're about 10 months late to that party...
https://electrek.co/2023/12/27... [electrek.co]
=Smidge=
Re: (Score:2)
Re: Don't produce too much too fast (Score:1)
Can I tell you about the copper mine in Ajo, AZ, abandoned due to crashing copper prices?
Dr Lithium knows his stuff (Score:1)
Dr. Li (Score:3)
Who else? [britannica.com]
Re: Dr. Li (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)