A report by Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Western Australia has found direct lithium extraction (DLE) is critical for the cost-effective and environmentally sustainable production of lithium.
ECU’s Associate Professor Amir Razmjou was engaged by the International Lithium Association as an independent expert, tasked with providing a ‘101 DLE’ report.
The report found that DLE can reduce the time required for lithium production compared to conventional methods, while also delivering lower environmental risks, reduced land use, a lower carbon footprint, and decreased water consumption..
The report also found that DLE eliminates the need for water or acid stripping, which is a key element in production.
Razmjou says membrane DLE enables modular design, which results in a reduced water and carbon footprint, as well as minimise water loss and brine contamination.
“DLE technology for lithium production has the potential to be a game-changer, enabling sustainable ramp-up of lithium in the rapidly expanding multi-billion-dollar industry,” he says.
“While solar evaporation typically takes over 18 months, and hard rock mining takes several months, DLE processes can accomplish extraction in a matter of hours or days. This represents a crucial advancement, as DLE enables rapid production scaling, allowing stakeholders to adapt to market demands more effectively.”
DLE involves the selective extraction of lithium ions directly from lithium-rich solutions, bypassing the need for evaporation ponds.
Razmjou analysed adsorption-based DLE, where lithium molecules are physically adsorbed onto the surface of a sorbent material.
One is ion exchange-based DLE, which involves trading lithium ions for cations within the structure of a sorbent material. It requires an acid solution for stripping and recovering the lithium, and solvent extraction-based DLE technologies, which have the advantage of extracting lithium from complex brines while maintaining high-purity levels.
Lithium is critical for the energy transition. The International Energy Agency estimates that global lithium demand will increase by a factor of 40 by 2040.
Write to Aaliyah Rogan at Mining.com.au
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