Solar-driven membrane separation for direct lithium extraction from artificial salt-lake brine

Shenxiang Zhang, Xian Wei, Xue Cao, Meiwen Peng, Min Wang, Lin Jiang () and Jian Jin ()
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Shenxiang Zhang: Soochow University
Xian Wei: Soochow University
Xue Cao: Soochow University
Meiwen Peng: Soochow University
Min Wang: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Lin Jiang: Soochow University
Jian Jin: Soochow University

Nature Communications, 2024, vol. 15, issue 1, 1-9

Abstract: Abstract The demand for lithium extraction from salt-lake brines is increasing to address the lithium supply shortage. Nanofiltration separation technology with high Mg2+/Li+ separation efficiency has shown great potential for lithium extraction. However, it usually requires diluting the brine with a large quantity of freshwater and only yields Li+-enriched solution. Inspired by the process of selective ion uptake and salt secretion in mangroves, we report here the direct extraction of lithium from salt-lake brines by utilizing the synergistic effect of ion separation membrane and solar-driven evaporator. The ion separation membrane-based solar evaporator is a multilayer structure consisting of an upper photothermal layer to evaporate water, a hydrophilic porous membrane in the middle to generate capillary pressure as the driving force for water transport, and an ultrathin ion separation membrane at the bottom to allow Li+ to pass through and block other multivalent ions. This process exhibits excellent lithium extraction capability. When treating artificial salt-lake brine with salt concentration as high as 348.4 g L−1, the Mg2+/Li+ ratio is reduced by 66 times (from 19.8 to 0.3). This research combines ion separation with solar-driven evaporation to directly obtain LiCl powder, providing an efficient and sustainable approach for lithium extraction.

Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44625-w

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