Researchers at George Washington University and other institutions have developed a new method to extract lithium from geothermal brines and purify it to make EV batteries.
The ability to extract lithium from alternative sources is critical for the clean energy transition and resource independence in countries like the USA.
This new process avoids harsh chemicals that damage the environment. Instead, it uses a special material that selectively captures lithium ions from the brine. The lithium is then converted into lithium chloride and finally into lithium hydroxide, which is the grade suitable for electric vehicle batteries. The team also conducted an economic analysis and found that the method could produce battery-grade lithium at a competitive cost.
According to the researchers, current sources of lithium, including hard-rock mining and salt flats, are insufficient to meet future global needs. This study introduces an environmentally friendly solution that taps into the resource of geothermal brines, specifically from sources like the Salton Sea in California.
The study, Electro-driven direct lithium extraction from geothermal brines to generate battery-grade lithium hydroxide, is published in Nature Communications.