[Bojo, Battery] The Evolution of Lithium Extraction Methods Dried in the Sun for Dozens of Months

Lithium, a Key Mineral for Electric Vehicle Batteries
Continuous Demand Growth Despite Recent Market Volatility

Traditional Lithium Extraction Methods Using Natural Evaporation in High Altitudes for 12-18 Months Also Advanced
Direct Extraction Methods Utilizing Adsorbents and Plasma

The method of extracting lithium, a key mineral for electric vehicle batteries, is evolving. Attempts to move away from the traditional method of drying lithium-containing brine under the sun for several months are increasing.

Lithium is one of the lightest metals. Lithium ions charged with electrical energy move between the cathode and anode materials, enabling the charging and discharging functions of the battery. Lithium is essential in lithium-ion batteries, which have become mainstream. In next-generation batteries such as solid-state batteries and lithium-sulfur batteries, lithium remains a necessary material, although the compounds change to substances like lithium sulfide. According to energy research firm BloombergNEF, the demand for lithium for batteries, which was around 600,000 tons last year, is expected to increase to 2.18 million tons by 2030. Despite the electric vehicle chasm (temporary stagnation in a growing industry), supply chain risks due to US-China conflicts and future demand are diversifying lithium production and extraction methods.

The traditional lithium extraction method is as follows. Brine is pumped from hundreds of meters underground and then passed through several ponds (artificial lakes) to evaporate the water. This process concentrates lithium and then removes impurities. It usually takes 12 to 18 months. Lithium is concentrated by drying under sunlight, and then lithium carbonate is obtained by adding sodium carbonate. This traditional lithium extraction is possible in the 'Lithium Triangle' spanning Chile, Bolivia, and Argentina. The Lithium Triangle is near the equator, where high temperatures and dry climates persist.

Until now, lithium, a core battery material, was mainly extracted from ores and salt lakes with high lithium content. Although these sources have high concentration and are easy to commercialize, rapid growth in the battery industry has led to supply competition, making it difficult to secure lithium anymore.

Accordingly, development is expanding to clay and oilfield brine. Non-traditional lithium has a lower grade (content of useful elements), requiring advanced extraction technology. As the value of lithium as a key battery raw material rises and extraction technology advances, the commercialization timeline for non-traditional methods is also accelerating.

The next-generation technology capable of extracting low-concentration lithium is 'Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE).' This technology uses the chemical properties of lithium to adsorb lithium elements or uses adsorbents to selectively extract lithium. Compared to traditional lithium extraction methods, it can extract lithium from brine with many impurities and low concentration using smaller-scale plants. The lithium concentration process, which used to take several months, can be shortened to a few hours.

Domestic companies are also securing lithium supply chains using direct lithium extraction methods. The POSCO Group is the most active. POSCO Group is conducting a project to extract lithium from clay near the McDermitt Caldera (a large volcanic crater formed by collapse after an eruption) in the United States. This project is in partnership with Australian mineral exploration and development company Jindalee Resources. The McDermitt Caldera, located on the border of Oregon and Nevada, USA, is reported to contain the world's largest single deposit of lithium (40 million tons). Additionally, lithium extraction projects using geothermal brine are being pursued in Canadian abandoned oil fields and California, USA. German company Vulcan Energy, which supplies lithium hydroxide to LG Energy Solution, is also operating an optimized lithium extraction plant using geothermal energy upstream of the Rhine Valley.

Major countries and companies are preparing to introduce next-generation technologies capable of extracting lithium from low-concentration salt lakes and brine. However, these have not yet been fully commercialized. This is because large-scale energy input and cost issues have not been overcome, and actual processes have not been implemented. Companies such as Lilac Solutions, EnergyX, Standard Lithium, and Australian mining company Rio Tinto, which have received investment from General Motors (GM) in the United States, have completed pilot tests and are evaluating commercial viability.

In February this year, researchers at the Plasma Technology Research Center under the Korea Institute of Fusion Energy succeeded in extracting three times more lithium compared to conventional methods by applying carbon dioxide microwave plasma technology to the lithium extraction process. Researchers Dr. Jihoon Kim and Dr. Jonggeun Yang utilized carbon dioxide microwave plasma technology, which ionizes carbon dioxide and treats it in a plasma state. In a comparative experiment using simulated brine to compare the efficiency of lithium extraction using carbon dioxide plasma and conventional methods, the plasma technology experiment showed about three times higher extraction efficiency.