【Frontiers in HaiChuan Chemical Technology】The Qinghai Salt Lake Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has made significant breakthroughs in the key technologies for the extraction and separation of lithium resources from salt lakes in China

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According to the Qinghai Salt Lake Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, its research team has recently made a significant technological breakthrough in the field of lithium resource separation from salt lakes. They have successfully overcome the technical challenges related to the efficient separation of lithium, sodium, and potassium ions from the lithium-rich mother liquor, and have achieved industrial application at a scale of tens of thousands of tons in enterprises that produce lithium carbonate from salt lakes. 　　It is understood that during the same period, Qinghai Province built the world’s first industrial demonstration line for the extraction of lithium from brine lithium-rich mother liquors, with a capacity to produce 10,000 tons of battery-grade lithium carbonate per year; this initiative generated an additional output value of over 600 million yuan.   Researcher Li Lijuan from the Qinghai Salt Lake Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences explained that in terms of technological innovation, the research team developed a green and efficient method for lithium extraction and separation. By designing and synthesizing new types of extractants specifically for lithium, they successfully overcame the technical challenges associated with traditional extraction methods in terms of environmental sustainability, safety, and cost control.   The application results show that the aforementioned technology can increase the overall recovery rate of lithium ions in lithium carbonate production by 15% to 20%, reduce costs by 30%, and lower water and energy consumption by more than 30% compared to industry standards; it holds strategic significance for supporting the development of world-class salt lake industrial bases.