Lithium extraction from geothermal water
Membrane process developed extracts lithium from geothermal waters
Exhibitors
Location
Hall 11, Stand B06
Description
In several regions of Germany, lithium concentrations of up to 250 milligrams per liter have been measured in deep waters. This resource offers the opportunity to extract lithium locally and sustainably, reducing dependence on imports. Geothermal power plants are well suited for integrating lithium extraction, as they continuously extract large volumes of thermal water. There is currently no industrially established process for extracting lithium from deep waters, but various processes using absorber materials, ion exchangers, and membranes are competing for dominance. Most processes require long dwell times, often produce undesirable radioactive by-products, or struggle with the complex composition of deep waters containing dissolved gases and various ions. In addition, additional energy sources and adjusted pressure values are required, which means that continuous process control in the power plant poses particular challenges. Researchers at KIT have developed a membrane-based process that is connected downstream of the geothermal cycle and thus integrates seamlessly. The process uses the cooled thermal water (70-75 degrees Celsius) after heat extraction and operates at the existing system pressure (20-22 bar). The technology comprises two coupled plant components. First, multivalent ions such as calcium or magnesium are separated from the thermal water in wound membranes. In a second step, the filtered water is concentrated using residual heat through membrane distillation: water vapor diffuses through a hydrophobic, microporous membrane, leaving a highly concentrated solution of lithium chloride that can be further processed into solid lithium hydroxide or lithium carbonate. Finally, the separated water is reinjected into the ground together with the concentrate that was initially separated. You can get an overview of this technology at KIT stand. More details can be exchanged individually with the responsible scientific employees of KIT after the industry fair.
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Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT)
- Kaiserstr. 12
- 76131 Karlsruhe
- Germany
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