Layered double hydroxide (LDH) is a material that can selectively remove lithium from brines containing many different cations. Because of this characteristic, LDH media is receiving interest by DLE producers as a potential preferred media for extracting lithium from geological fluids. Versions of these media are now being developed by companies around the world in hopes of capitalizing on the need for producing lithium in a more efficient and environmentally friendly way.
For OLI is to maintain our leadership in the rigorous designing of new Lithium extraction plants, we must capture the separation mechanisms developed in the laboratory (TRL 1,2,3), applied feasibility studies (TRL 4,5) and put into operations (TRL 6-9).
This spotlight presents how lithium is extracted from brines using LDH materials. We will describe the chemical reactions that are key to lithium separation and then use literature data to predict lithium uptake and recovery. We will then apply this LDH concept to a standard plant operation and simulate lithium extraction from the feed brine through the extractor, ion exchange purification and finally membrane dewatering.
