An Australian-Chinese research team has developed groundbreaking technology that enables direct lithium extraction from extreme environments like deserts and high-altitude salt brine flats.
In a recent study, scientists from Monash University and the University of Queensland (UQ) demonstrated how their innovative method efficiently extracted lithium from saltwater sources at China’s Longmu Co Lake and Dongtai Lake. The Melbourne-based Monash University announced the findings in a media release on Tuesday.
Lithium is essential in the global transition to clean energy due to its widespread use in battery storage technology. However, experts warn that global lithium supplies could fall short of demand as early as 2025, with up to 75 percent of the world’s lithium-rich saltwater untappable using current methods.
The new technology employs a nanofiltration process involving ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) to directly and efficiently extract lithium, as well as magnesium, from salt-lake brines.
Project co-leads Li Zhikao from the Monash Suzhou Research Institute in Jiangsu Province and Zhang Xiwang from UQ stated that the EDTA-aided loose nanofiltration (EALNF) technology could be the solution to the surging demand for lithium.
“The technology achieves 90 percent lithium recovery from brine sources, nearly doubling that of traditional methods, and reduces the time required for extraction from years to weeks,” Li said.
“High-altitude salt brine flats in countries like China and Bolivia are examples of areas with tougher brine conditions that have traditionally been ignored,” he added. “In remote desert areas, the vast amounts of water, chemicals, and infrastructure required for conventional extraction just aren’t available, underscoring the need for innovative technologies.”
“With Monash University’s EALNF technology, these can now be commercially viable sources of lithium and valuable contributors to the global supply chain,” Li said.
Unlike traditional extraction methods that treat magnesium, often present in brines and difficult to remove, as waste, the EALNF technology transforms it into a high-quality product that can be sold.
Li indicated that the technology is ready to quickly expand from testing to full industrial operations.
Reference(s):
New tech enables direct lithium extraction from extreme environments
cgtn.com
