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Updated: Jun 12, 2026

Solid-state Graft Copolymer Electrolytes for Lithium Battery Applications
Published on: August 12, 2013
Electrochemical Lithium Recovery and Magnesium Hydroxide Coproduction from High-Mg2+/Li+ Salt-Lake Brine
Zhitong Zhang1, Huiji Xiao1, Yongli Wan1
1School of Life Sciences, Key Laboratory of Jiangxi Province for Functional Biology and Pollution Control in Red Soil Regions, Jinggangshan University, Ji'an 343009, China.
None:
Salt-lake brine accounts for 60% of global lithium reserves, but its high Mg2+/Li+ ratio (>6) hinders selective lithium recovery. Herein, a novel two-stage electrochemical process integrating a membrane-free single-compartment (SC) Mg2+/Li+ separator and a membrane-assisted three-compartment (TC) Li+ crystallizer was developed for Li2CO3 synthesis. Anodic product extraction enabled in situ OH- accumulation, realizing Mg2+ precipitation as Mg(OH)2 without chemical addition. The Li+-enriched brine was converted to battery-grade Li2CO3 via electrolytic conversion of HCO3- to CO32-. The process achieved >99.98% Mg2+ rejection, Li+ was enriched to 2.63 times its initial concentration, and 82.99% yield of Li2CO3 (99.6% purity). Pilot-scale tests (1 m3) showed a 75-fold Li+/Mg2+ ratio increase within 4 h. DFT calculations verified the strong binding of Li+ to CO32- (-1.06 eV) and CO32- adsorption on Fe(100) (-7.34 eV), supporting Li2CO3 nucleation. LCA confirmed lower environmental impacts of SC-TC than conventional nanofiltration, with a net profit of US$ 9439.83 per ton of Li2CO3. The SC-TC process provides a green and scalable route for simultaneous lithium extraction and magnesium valorization from high-Mg2+/Li+ brines.
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