The electric vehicle market is booming, driving demand for lithium, an essential mineral for lithium-ion batteries. Global lithium production has tripled in the last decade, but current extraction methods are slow, energy-intensive and have high environmental costs. In addition, they require highly concentrated sources of lithium, available in few countries.
New Lithium Extraction Method
Researchers at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering (PME) have optimized a new method to extract lithium from more dilute and widespread sources, such as seawater, groundwater, and wastewater from hydraulic fracturing and oil drilling. offshore.
Efficiency and Environmental Friendliness
The method developed by Assistant Professor Chong Liu and her team uses iron phosphate particles to efficiently isolate lithium from dilute liquids. This breakthrough can accelerate an era of faster, greener lithium extraction, significantly expanding the potential sources of this mineral.
Our method allows efficient extraction of the mineral from very dilute liquids, which can greatly expand potential sources of lithium.
Assistant. Prof. Chong Liu
Characteristics of the Innovative Method
- Iron Phosphate Particles: They use crystalline structures of olivine iron phosphate that, due to their size, charge and reactivity, attract lithium, leaving out the sodium ions present in saline liquids.
- Efficiency in Lithium Selection: The researchers found that intermediate-sized particles are the most efficient, achieving purer lithium extraction.
- Reduction of Environmental Impact: This method reduces the environmental impact associated with lithium extraction, avoiding the need for water and energy intensive processes currently used.
Advantages of the New Method
- Expansion of Lithium Sources: Allows lithium to be extracted from more dilute and widely available sources, such as seawater.
- Sustainability: Reduces dependence on environmentally harmful extraction methods.
- Energy efficiency: Lower energy consumption compared to traditional methods.
This breakthrough in lithium extraction not only promises to meet the growing demand for this vital mineral for lithium-ion batteries, but also represents a significant step towards more sustainable and environmentally friendly mining practices. By optimizing the production of olivine iron phosphate at the ideal particle size, this method could revolutionize the lithium industry, making production more efficient and environmentally friendly.
References
The study titled “Identifying critical features of iron phosphate particle for lithium preference” was published on June 7, 2024 in Nature Communications. Authors include Gangbin Yan, Emory Apodaca, Suin Choi, Peter J. Eng, Joanne E. Stubbs, Yu Han, Siqi Zou, Mrinal K. Bera, Ronghui Wu, Jialiang Wei, Wei Chen, Evguenia Karapetrova, and Hua Zhou.
This research is a clear example of how technological innovation can significantly contribute to sustainability and energy efficiency, leading the way towards a greener and more sustainable future.
Via uchicago.edu
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