Innovative Lithium Extraction Method Transforms Battery Industry

Researchers from Princeton University have devised an innovative lithium extraction process that substantially diminishes both the spatial and temporal demands of production. Utilizing a series of porous fibers to separate lithium and sodium through the mechanisms of capillary action and evaporation, the technique presents a promising advancement for the battery sector.

Credit: Bumper DeJesus

Lithium serves as a critical component in the batteries for electric vehicles and energy storage solutions, heralding a more sustainable future. However, traditional means of lithium production from saline water are both time-consuming and land-intensive, with large-scale operations often sprawling over dozens of square miles and taking over a year to commence production.

The Princeton team has introduced a new method that significantly reduces the land and time prerequisites for lithium extraction. According to their research, this could enhance production capacities at current lithium extraction facilities and make feasible the utilization of sources previously deemed too marginal to be of value.

Outlined in a recent publication in Nature Water, the cornerstone of this novel approach involves porous fibers twisted into strings. These fibers are designed with a hydrophilic core and a hydrophobic surface. When the fibers are submerged in a saline solution, water ascends the fibers via capillary action, akin to how trees absorb water from their roots to their leaves.

As the water evaporates from the fibers’ surfaces, salts including lithium and sodium are left behind. Continuous evaporation increases the salt concentration, ultimately resulting in the crystallization of sodium chloride and lithium chloride on the fibers for uncomplicated harvesting.

The method also facilitates the separation of lithium and sodium based on their different physical properties. Sodium tends to crystallize at the lower end of the fiber due to its low solubility, while the highly soluble lithium salts crystallize closer to the top. This enables the researchers to isolate lithium and sodium individually, usually an operation that necessitates the use of additional chemical reagents.

Z. Jason Ren, professor at Princeton’s School of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment, stated, “Our technique relies on the natural processes of evaporation and capillary action to concentrate, separate, and harvest lithium, eliminating the need for additional chemicals and conserving water compared to conventional methods.”

Traditional lithium extraction through brine requires expansive evaporation ponds and can take several months to years to complete. This is economically viable only in specific geographic regions. The fiber-based technique is much more compact, and the researchers estimate it can reduce the land requirement by over 90 percent and speed up the evaporation process by over 20-fold, potentially allowing for initial lithium harvests within a month.

This efficient and rapid method could enable lithium extraction from untapped sources like abandoned oil and gas wells or geothermal brines. It may also facilitate operations in more humid climates. Further research is underway to explore its applicability for lithium extraction from seawater.

Sunxiang (Sean) Zheng, co-author of the study and former distinguished postdoctoral fellow at the Andlinger Center, described the process as “an evaporation pond condensed onto a fiber,” highlighting its efficiency and minimal environmental impact.

The team acknowledges that additional research is needed to scale up the technology but notes its great potential for widespread application due to the cost-effectiveness of the materials used and the absence of a need for chemical treatments. A follow-up version of the technique is already in development, aiming for higher efficiency and throughput.

The research received initial support from the Princeton Catalysis Initiative and has also been awarded the NSF Partnerships for Innovation Award. Zheng is spearheading the launch of a startup, PureLi Inc., aiming to refine and commercialize the technology.

Reference: “Spatially Separated Crystallization for Selective Lithium Extraction from Saline Water” by Xi Chen, Meiqi Yang, Sunxiang Zheng, Fernando Temprano-Coleto, Qi Dong, Guangming Cheng, Nan Yao, Howard A. Stone, Liangbing Hu, and Zhiyong Jason Ren, 7 September 2023, Nature Water.
DOI: 10.1038/s44221-023-00131-3

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More about Lithium Extraction Advancement

• Princeton University News Release
• Nature Water Journal Article