Eco-friendly lithium extraction method developed for electric vehicle batteries

Researchers at The George Washington University, in collaboration with other institutions, have developed an innovative method to directly extract and purify lithium from geothermal brines that can be used to make batteries found in electric cars.

The study, “Electro-driven direct lithium extraction from geothermal brines to generate battery-grade lithium hydroxide,” was published in Nature Communications.

The ability to extract lithium from alternative sources is critical for the clean energy transition and resource independence in countries like the U.S., the researchers say.

This process, which avoids harsh chemicals that can be damaging to the environment, uses a special material that selectively captures lithium ions from the brine. The captured lithium is then converted into lithium chloride and finally into lithium hydroxide, which is the grade suitable for electric vehicle batteries. The team further conducted an economic analysis and found that the method could produce battery-grade lithium at a competitive cost.

According to the researchers, current sources of lithium, including hard-rock mining and salt flats are insufficient to meet future global needs. This study introduces an environmentally friendly solution that taps into the resource of geothermal brines, specifically from sources like the Salton Sea in California.

The researchers’ technology is set to be tested at scale in the coming years.