A New Method Allows Extraction of Up to 90% Lithium from High-Altitude Salt Lakes Without Depleting Freshwater Resources.
A research team from Monash University and the University of Queensland, Australia, has developed a method for directly extracting lithium from harsh environments, as reported by Interesting Engineering on October 23. The new method, named EDTA-Assisted Liquid Nano Filtration (EALNF), is faster and more sustainable than traditional methods. The research was published in the journal Nature Sustainability.
The new method extracts magnesium and lithium simultaneously. (Photo: Monash Suzhou Research Institute).
Lithium is an essential resource for energy storage solutions and is abundant on Earth; however, the extraction process consumes significant amounts of water and can harm ecosystems and communities. These traditional methods are also ineffective for extracting lithium from saline sources. Consequently, approximately 75% of the world’s lithium reserves remain untapped.
China and Bolivia possess vast lithium reserves. However, due to harsh conditions, the high-altitude salt lakes in these countries have not been exploited. Traditional lithium extraction involves separating magnesium from lithium, which is energy-intensive and time-consuming. The magnesium concentration in high-altitude salt lakes is very high, making lithium extraction even more challenging.
“The enormous amount of water, chemicals, and infrastructure required for traditional extraction is not available, highlighting the need for innovative technologies,” commented expert Zikhao Li from Monash University and a member of the research team.
EALNF addresses the issue by extracting magnesium alongside lithium instead of discarding it as waste. The nano-filtration process then uses a coagulant to separate magnesium from lithium. The separated magnesium is of high quality and can be sold as a valuable byproduct along with lithium.
“The new technology achieves a lithium recovery efficiency of 90%, nearly double that of traditional methods, while significantly reducing extraction time from several years to just a few weeks,” Li added.
Another advantage is that while traditional methods use freshwater, leading to resource depletion, EALNF generates fresh water as a byproduct. This new method is also highly flexible and can be rapidly scaled up. This means the transition from testing to industrial-scale deployment will not take many years.
“With Monash University’s EALNF technology, high-altitude salt lakes can now become a viable commercial source of lithium, contributing to the global supply chain. This breakthrough is crucial in preventing future lithium shortages, enabling access to lithium from hard-to-reach sources, and promoting the transition to clean energy,” Li shared.
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