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The demand for lithium, essential for enabling sustainable technologies, is escalating at an impressive rate. However, as much as 75 percent of the globe’s lithium-rich saltwater reserves remain inaccessible using current extraction methods.
With projections indicating that global lithium supply could fall short of burgeoning demand as soon as 2025, the introduction of a groundbreaking technology—EDTA-aided loose nanofiltration (EALNF)—marks a significant advancement in lithium extraction processes. This innovative technique allows for the simultaneous extraction of lithium and magnesium, which contrasts sharply with conventional methods that often discard magnesium salts as waste. Consequently, EALNF offers a more efficient, rapid, and sustainable solution.
The research, spearheaded by Dr. Zhikao Li from the Monash Suzhou Research Institute and the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, along with Professor Xiwang Zhang from the University of Queensland, holds promise for satisfying the increasing global lithium needs while facilitating sustainable extraction practices.
Recent studies conducted on brine samples from China’s Longmu Co Lake and Dongtai Lake, published in Nature Sustainability, reveal that this innovative method can effectively extract lithium from low-grade brines that contain significant magnesium content. Central to this advancement is a specialized nanofiltration technique that employs a selective chelating agent to isolate lithium from other minerals, particularly magnesium, which often complicates extraction efforts.
“High-altitude salt brine flats, particularly in regions such as Tibet and Qinghai in China and Bolivia, exemplify locations with challenging brine conditions that have been overlooked in the past. The extensive water, chemicals, and infrastructure needed for conventional extraction processes are often impractical in these remote desert areas, highlighting the necessity for novel technologies,” Dr. Li emphasized.
“Through Monash University’s EALNF technology, these locations can become viable lithium sources, significantly contributing to the global supply chain. Our technology achieves a lithium recovery rate of 90 percent, which is nearly double that of traditional processes, and it reduces extraction time from years to just weeks,” he added.
Additionally, the new technology repurposes excess magnesium into a high-quality product for sale, thus minimizing waste and mitigating environmental impacts.
Aside from its enhanced efficiency, the EALNF system addresses critical environmental issues often associated with lithium extraction. Unlike conventional methods that can deplete essential water resources in arid regions, this innovative technology generates freshwater as a by-product.
Dr. Li hinted at the scalability of the system, stating it is adaptable for large-scale implementation and poised to transition from pilot testing to full industrial application swiftly.
“This innovative breakthrough is vital for averting a future lithium shortage, making it feasible to access lithium from previously inaccessible sources, thereby supporting the transition to clean energy solutions,” he concluded.
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