Lithium is in many batteries (Photo: Freepik, rawpixel.com)
London – with a new technique of researchers of the Imperial College London Around Qilei Song, the lithium production that is still absolutely required for battery production can be gained more environmentally friendly and cheaper. A new membrane filters out the coveted metal made of lithium -containing salt water, as is the case in lakes in Chile, Argentina and Bolivia.
So far, the water of these lakes has been led to Bassins. In a month -long process, it evaporates under the influence of the sun. The lithium is then obtained from the salt lithium mixture using chemicals and water use. The looted remaining lakes remain as desert-like areas.
No external molecules
A membrane is used in the new process, which can also be used for soles that are pumped onto the surface when using geothermal energy in order to use the energy contained therein for power supply or for feed-in.
Similar filters are already used, but they not only let lithium, but also similarly large molecules as magnesium pass, so that in a further step the coveted metal has to be separated, which in turn costs money and the environment is burdening.
Highly selectively for lithium
The new plastic membrane is based on polymers with intrinsic microporosity. These are naturally crossed with tiny, hourglass -shaped micropores that form orderly channels through which small molecules and ions can hike. Now the researchers have refined these micropores so that they are highly selectively for lithium.
In an electrodiase device, the lithium ions are effectively pulled by the membrane micropores by an electrical current, while larger magnesium ions, salt and contamination remain. The product is lithium carbonate that is so pure that it can be used directly for battery production.
“The polymer synthesis is based on commercially available monomers and simple chemical modifications, which means that the scaling of the membranes is relatively simple,” says Dingchang Yang, songs doctoral student, who heads the experimental work. They could also easily be integrated into commercial membrane modules and combined with other separation processes, which accelerates their extensive use.
Source: www.pressetext.com
(PTE019/13.03.2025/11: 33)