One of the world’s largest lithium reserves selects LG NanoH2O™ RO membranes for lithium extraction
LG Chem Supplies Reverse Osmosis Membranes to the Largest Salt Lake Lithium Extraction Project in China
-Supplying more than 10,000 RO membranes to the Guoan lithium extraction project led by China’s CITIC Group
-Enables to produce 20,000 tons of lithium carbonate annually that is equivalent to manufacture batteries for nearly half a million electric vehicles
LG Water Solutions, a business unit of LG Chem and manufacturer of NanoH2O™ reverse osmosis (RO) membranes, announced the supply of more than 10,000 RO membrane elements to the Citic Guoan project, China's largest salt lake-based lithium carbonate production site. The project owner, TUS-Qingyuan, aims to produce 20,000 tonnes of battery-grade lithium carbonate annually, enough lithium to build batteries for nearly 500,000 electric vehicles (EVs).
LG NanoH2O™ RO membranes play a vital role in TUS-Qingyuan's advanced lithium extraction technology to recover lithium from the salt lakes. RO membranes can drastically reduce the processing time by concentrating the lake water in just minutes. This step enables lithium concentration at a fraction of the time and cost of conventional processes such as evaporation ponds, which can take up to years to achieve the same recovery but with a much larger land area and capital investment. LG Water Solutions has supplied its high-performance RO membranes to similar lithium extraction projects in China for several years.
Anticipating significant growth in the lithium production and reuse industry, LG Water Solutions is collaborating with Korea University to develop the next generation of membranes that selectively extract lithium as a part of a Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) process. Conventional lithium production processes involve multiple physicochemical treatment steps to obtain lithium end-products. The lithium selective membranes aim to extract lithium from the salt lake directly, thus eliminating the need for complicated treatment processes (please refer to the diagrams below). The lithium selective membranes can significantly lower the carbon footprint of lithium production by simplifying capital-intensive production processes and increasing the separation efficiency. The lithium selective membranes are also more environmentally friendly, helping the lithium industry generate much less waste than conventional lithium production processes, which rely heavily on chemical treatments.
Dr. Hoon Hyung, President of LG Water Solutions, said: "With the thriving EV industry, global lithium demands are soaring. By combining global leadership in lithium-ion batteries and RO membranes, LG is pursuing innovative lithium production processes that are more sustainable and carbon neutral."
Source: LG Water Solutions
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