Issue 2, 2020

Pilot-scale demonstration of an electrochemical system for lithium recovery from the desalination concentrate

Abstract

The rapidly growing interest in seawater desalination has drawn a large pool of attention among the industry for proper management of its by-product; desalination concentrate. Among the various attempts to utilize desalination concentrate, the selective extraction of lithium has received considerable attention as the industrial demand for lithium becomes higher than ever. In this study, using lithium-ion battery electrode materials that enable highly selective electrochemical capture and release of lithium, we report a pilot-scale system designed for the treatment of actual desalination concentrate produced by a desalination plant. This system, equipped with λ-MnO2 and Ag electrodes, enabled lithium recovery from 6 tons of desalination concentrate per day (0.25 ton per hour), leading the production of a solution containing 62 mM of Li+ with purity and enrichment factor of 88% and 1800, respectively.

Graphical abstract: Pilot-scale demonstration of an electrochemical system for lithium recovery from the desalination concentrate

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Communication
Submitted
31 avq 2019
Accepted
02 okt 2019
First published
03 okt 2019

Environ. Sci.: Water Res. Technol., 2020,6, 290-295

Pilot-scale demonstration of an electrochemical system for lithium recovery from the desalination concentrate

H. Joo, S. Kim, S. Kim, M. Choi, S. Kim and J. Yoon, Environ. Sci.: Water Res. Technol., 2020, 6, 290 DOI: 10.1039/C9EW00756C

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