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As worldwide demand for electric vehicles, smartphones, and renewable energy storage grows, so does the need for lithium, a crucial component in modern batteries.
Researchers at Monash University have developed a new technique that could make lithium extraction more efficient and environmentally friendly. This innovative method achieves about 95% recovery of lithium from salt mixtures while using minimal water and less energy compared to traditional processes.
Their findings were published in Environmental Science & Technology.
Most of the world’s lithium is sourced from underground brines—salty waters trapped beneath dry salt lakes. Extracting lithium from these brines is often a slow, resource-intensive process, typically involving large evaporation ponds that consume significant freshwater and take months or even years to yield usable lithium.
Led by Professor Huanting Wang, Dr. Zhikao Li, and Ph.D. student Pan Liu, the Monash research team took a different route. Instead of directly extracting lithium from liquid brines, they first transformed the brine into solid salt mixtures. They then used common industrial solvents, like ethanol and acetone, to selectively dissolve the lithium-containing salts, leaving many unwanted salts behind.
This works because different salts dissolve to different extents in various solvents. By exploiting these natural solubility differences, the team was able to efficiently separate lithium without relying on large volumes of freshwater.
Removing impurities, such as boron and sulfate, is one of the biggest challenges in lithium extraction. The new process effectively filters out these contaminants, producing high-purity lithium suitable for battery manufacturing.
The researchers also prioritized sustainability by incorporating a solar-powered evaporation system to recover and reuse the solvents. This system uses sunlight to drive the evaporation process, significantly reducing energy consumption.
The results were remarkable—with over 99% of the solvents recovered and recycled using only solar energy. This approach not only cuts down on environmental impact but also minimizes waste, reduces freshwater use, and lowers energy demands—all while maintaining high lithium recovery rates.
This breakthrough has already resulted in a patent application, underscoring its potential for commercial use.
According to the researchers, this technology offers a viable path toward cleaner lithium production, which is increasingly vital as global demand continues to surge. Given the projected needs of electric vehicles and renewable energy systems, developing more sustainable extraction methods is essential.
If scaled up for industrial manufacturing, this innovative process could help meet future lithium needs while reducing the environmental footprint typically associated with conventional extraction methods.
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