Efficient Low-Temperature Direct Lithium Extraction from Chloride Brines Enabled by High-Capacity Sorbent

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Chemical Engineering
• Environmental Science

Background:

• Growing demand for lithium in electric vehicles and energy storage necessitates sustainable extraction.
• Traditional lithium extraction methods are energy-intensive, costly, and environmentally damaging.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate amorphous aluminum hydroxide as a high-capacity sorbent for efficient direct lithium extraction.
• To evaluate the method's effectiveness at low temperatures and assess its environmental and economic viability.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing amorphous aluminum hydroxide for direct lithium extraction from brine.
• Conducting experiments at low temperatures to optimize extraction efficiency.
• Applying Avrami-Erofe'ev kinetic modeling to understand the extraction mechanism.

Main Results:

• Achieved high lithium extraction efficiencies of 94.4% (case 1) and 96.2% (case 2).
• Kinetic modeling indicated a nucleation-growth mechanism (n = 0.71, k = 0.131 h⁻¹).
• Demonstrated significant reduction in energy consumption and environmental footprint.

Conclusions:

• Amorphous aluminum hydroxide is a highly effective sorbent for sustainable direct lithium extraction.
• The low-temperature process offers an economically viable and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional methods.
• This approach supports the advancement of clean-energy technologies through improved lithium production.