This patent-pending method is said to use less water and reduce energy consumption.
The researchers converted the spodumene to water-soluble phase using a relatively low temperature roasting using sodium hydroxide. This roasting process was in two-stages at 325°C and water leaching was done at room temperature, which the researchers claim extracted over 99% of the lithium
Source: BEST Magazine: Read The Article
PSR Analysis: Normal Lithium extraction uses much more energy and much more water to achieve an 88% extraction rate, so any improvement in this process will deliver more lithium, and at less cost. Potentially, this is a big win by extending the amount of lithium available, and it reduces the amount of waste that needs to be dealt with. PSR
Guy Youngs is Forecast & Adoption Lead at Power Systems Research
