Grantee Research Project Results

Production of lithium carbonate from geothermal brine by selective extraction of lithium using a novel ion sieve method

EPA Grant Number: SU840679
Title: Production of lithium carbonate from geothermal brine by selective extraction of lithium using a novel ion sieve method
Investigators: Kumar, Sandeep
Institution: Old Dominion University
EPA Project Officer: Page, Angela
Phase: I
Project Period: January 1, 2024 through May 13, 2025
Project Amount: $75,000
RFA: 20th Annual P3 Awards: A National Student Design Competition Focusing on People, Prosperity and the Planet Request for Applications (RFA) (2023) RFA Text |  Recipients Lists
Research Category: Heavy Metal Contamination of Soil/Water , P3 Awards , P3 Challenge Area - Safe and Sustainable Water Resources , Urban Air Toxics

Description:

It has been reported that zirconium (Zr) doping increases the adsorption of lithium-ion sieves (LIS). Thus, the proposed novel Zr-doped H₄Mn_4.9Zr_0.1O₁₂ has the potential to increase the selective adsorption capacity of lithium from geothermal brine which can be used for producing lithium carbonate. This form of extraction method is considered sustainable as it does not impact water resources and reduces chemical waste as compared to mining methods.

Objective:

The proposed idea is to address “EPA-G2023-P3-Q2 - Clean and Safe Water” by providing a novel approach to extract lithium from a geothermal brine with minimal water loss. This will provide a sustainable alternative to the currently practiced solar evaporation/concentration method which is very slow (takes 24 months) and water intensive. Production of high-capacity lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries for electric vehicles (EV) is believed to be the way to reduce the use of fossil-fuel based vehicles. Currently, most of the lithium in the world comes from the mining of lithium or from the evaporative process of the brine. Mining is not environmentally friendly, and the evaporative process takes a long time for the extraction and causes a great loss of water.

Approach:

It is proposed to use H₄Mn_4.9Zr_0.1O₁₂ compound for the selective adsorption of lithium from the brine to produce lithium carbonate for its application in Li-ion battery. There are several merits of the proposed system. First, the time required to extract lithium from the geothermal brine will be reduced from months to a couple of hours and water loss during the extraction process is minimized. Second, it works as an alternative to lithium mining which generates chemicals waste that contaminate water resources and affect human health. Third, by using geothermal brine, the domestic production of lithium will increase significantly which will eventually reduce/eliminate the need of lithium import. Salton Sea area geothermal brines are recognized as potentially important domestic sources of lithium. Lithium concentration in geothermal brines from the Salton Sea area is reported to be as high as 400 mg/L.

Expected Results:

The ultimate expected outcomes of the project will be to synthesize the H₄Mn_4.9Zr_0.1O₁₂ compound and use it for the adsorption-desorption process to extract lithium from geothermal brine and produce lithium carbonate out of it. The team will design a bench-scale batch system to carry out the cyclic adsorption and desorption process that will be upgraded to a fixed bed flow configuration for scale up. The designed flow system for the adsorption process will be showcased at the P3 National Design Expo. The proposed project will prevent the loss and contamination of water resources during lithium production. The increase in domestic supply of lithium will also augment the production of EVs which will ultimately decrease air pollution.

Supplemental Keywords:

adsorption, geothermal brine, desorption, lithium carbonate, lithium-ion sieve, li-ion battery  

Progress and Final Reports:

2024