LG Chem Supplies Reverse Osmosis Filters to China's Largest Lithium Project

Delivery of Over 10,000 RO Filters for Zhongxin Group Guoan Lithium Project

Employees are inspecting water treatment filters that have completed testing on the RO filter production line at LG Chem Cheongju Plant. Photo by LG Chem

LG Chem supplied reverse osmosis filters, known as 'RO filters,' which enhance production efficiency to China's largest salt lake lithium extraction project.

On the 22nd, LG Chem announced that it supplied over 10,000 RO filters to Guoan Lithium Extraction Project of Zhongxin Group in China. Zhongxin Group is a major state-owned enterprise in China, and the Guoan project, which began full-scale operation this year in Qinghai Province, is the largest salt lake lithium extraction business in China.

Chidi Qingyuan, which operates the lithium extraction project, plans to produce 20,000 tons of lithium carbonate annually using LG Chem's RO filters and other equipment. This amount is sufficient to manufacture 500,000 electric vehicles. It is the world's largest production volume for a lithium extraction project utilizing filtration devices.

By using RO filters, the energy required for lithium production can be drastically reduced. To obtain lithium dissolved in salt lakes, water must be evaporated to increase concentration. Traditionally, heat was applied to remove water. However, through the reverse osmosis process of the RO filter, water molecules can be rapidly filtered out without applying heat. Reverse osmosis separates two solutions with different concentrations using a semipermeable membrane and applies pressure to the higher concentration side, allowing only water molecules to pass through.

LG Chem's RO filters, mainly used for seawater desalination, are characterized by high impurity removal rates and large production flow rates. Their superior durability compared to competitors' products has been recognized, and LG Chem's products are used in numerous lithium extraction projects in China besides the Guoan project.

Among China's nine major salt lake lithium extraction projects, five use the RO filter method. The Chinese RO filter market is growing by more than 8% annually and is expected to reach approximately 2.2 trillion KRW (11.9 billion yuan) by 2025. LG Chem plans to expand sales of RO filters to other salt lake lithium projects in China and South America.

For more efficient lithium extraction, LG Chem is collaborating with Korea University to develop next-generation RO filters for Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) processes. This process directly extracts lithium from salt lakes, reducing the lithium concentration process from several months to a few hours. LG Chem is researching RO filter materials that improve lithium recovery rate, purity, and durability during this process. Once direct lithium extraction is fully applied, the process will be simplified, extraction efficiency will increase, and environmental pollution during lithium production is expected to be significantly reduced.

Hyung Hoon, Executive Director of the RO Filter Business Division, said, "In response to the global surge in lithium demand, we will lead the market by combining leadership in battery materials and RO filters. We will develop sustainable and eco-friendly lithium production processes to provide differentiated value to our customers."