【Frontiers in HaiChuan Chemical Technology】New breakthroughs achieved in key technologies for the extraction and separation of lithium resources from Qinghai salt lakes by the Qinghai Salt Lake Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences

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Against the backdrop of the rapid development of new energy worldwide, the demand for lithium resources, as seen in new energy electric vehicles and clean energy storage systems, is increasing steadily. Recently, new breakthroughs have been achieved in the key technologies for extracting and separating lithium from Qinghai’s salt lakes, drawing attention from the energy industry. The research team led by Li Lijuan from the Qinghai Salt Lake Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has successfully overcome the technical challenges associated with the efficient separation of lithium, sodium, and potassium ions in lithium-rich mother liquors. Compared with similar technologies at home and abroad, this technology is currently the only solution that simultaneously meets the four objectives of economic viability, efficient recovery, clean production, and high-quality products, providing critical technical support for the high-quality development of China’s salt lake lithium industry. Expert evaluations indicate that this technology is at the international leading level, and its industrial application is expected to provide significant support for the efficient recovery and high-value utilization of lithium resources from salt lakes throughout the entire process. Solving the technical challenge of high lithium loss rates: Currently, the development of lithium resources worldwide follows two completely different approaches. One is hard-rock lithium mines in Australia, where extraction and processing take place directly, offering a clear process flow, but at higher costs and with high energy consumption. Another area is lithium extraction from salt lakes in China and South America, which relies on methods such as natural evaporation, separation, and extraction, and requires very high levels of technical and engineering expertise. Lithium extraction from salt lakes in the Qaidam Basin in Qinghai is widely recognized as the most difficult type, due to high levels of magnesium and low lithium content as well as numerous impurities; ions such as magnesium, sodium, and potassium coexist in large quantities and interfere with each other. The recovery of lithium-rich mother liquor is an industry challenge aimed at addressing the severe loss of lithium resources in salt lake brines; it is a key step in achieving efficient recovery of secondary resources throughout the lithium extraction process from salt lakes, and it is crucial for improving the efficiency of comprehensive resource utilization as well as socioeconomic benefits. In simple terms, lithium-rich mother liquor refers to the solution containing high levels of salts that remains after conventional lithium extraction. In the past, this substance was difficult to utilize further, and it posed challenges in terms of treatment as well as environmental concerns. Li Lijuan, a researcher at the Qinghai Salt Lake Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, told reporters in an interview: “Our team spent 20 years on in-depth research to develop a green and efficient lithium extraction and separation technique. By designing and synthesizing new types of extractants specifically for lithium, we successfully overcame the technical challenges associated with environmental impact, safety, and cost control in traditional extraction methods.” ” This time, Li Lijuan’s research team has further improved the efficient separation of various ions in the lithium-precipitation mother liquor, with the goal of developing a new, reusable lithium extraction system. Results from practical applications show that this technology can increase the overall recovery rate of lithium resources by 15% to 20% and reduce costs by over 30%, providing a viable approach for the efficient recovery and clean utilization of lithium resources from salt lakes. Overall, the advantages of the key technologies for the extraction and separation of lithium from Qinghai salt lakes lie in high efficiency in production, reduced carbon emissions and consumption, as well as lower costs; these technologies have successfully overcome the long-standing technical bottleneck of high lithium loss rates during the enrichment process in Qinghai salt lakes. Exploring efficient recovery and utilization of lithium resources: China’s lithium resources in salt lakes are mainly found in Qinghai and Tibet, with the salt lake resources in Qinghai accounting for nearly half of the total amount in the country. Breakthroughs and applications in lithium extraction technologies from salt lakes are being explored and implemented by research institutions and manufacturing enterprises. In 2024, Qinghai CITIC Guoan Group Technology Development Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of CITIC Guoan Group (hereinafter referred to as “CITIC Guoan Qinghai Technology”), launched a project for the comprehensive recycling and utilization of resources for the first time in the industry. From the outset, it sought technical partners through open bidding across the industry, and after two rounds of rigorous evaluation by industry experts, it selected the green and efficient lithium extraction and separation technology proposed by the Qinghai Salt Lake Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, thereby establishing a clear technical roadmap for the successful implementation of the project. Applying the results is the most effective way to test a technology. By 2025, CITIC Guoan Qinghai Technology built the world’s first industrial demonstration line capable of extracting 6,000 tons of battery-grade lithium carbonate from brine lithium-rich solutions. As of January 10, 2026, this line had been operating stably for 470 days; the lithium recovery rate on this extraction line exceeded 98%. A total of 9,000 tons of high-quality battery-grade lithium carbonate have been produced, generating an economic value of nearly 600 million yuan. The successful implementation of this project has effectively bridged the ‘last mile’ in the efficient utilization of lithium resources from salt lakes, significantly improving the overall efficiency of the comprehensive utilization of such resources in China. It provides a replicable technical solution for the high-value circular utilization of lithium resources from salt lakes worldwide. The core technology of this resource recycling and comprehensive utilization project is the sodium-removing halide adsorption lithium extraction process, which was independently developed by CITIC Guoan Qinghai Technology and backed by multiple patents; this approach enables systematic optimization across the entire process as well as technological innovation. He Wanghai, Party Secretary and General Manager of CITIC Guoan Qinghai Technology, told reporters: “We adopt a green and efficient extraction and separation technology for lithium recovery, which reduces the heavy reliance on energy sources such as electricity, steam, and fresh water that is characteristic of traditional salt lake lithium extraction processes. This approach offers various advantages, including low investment costs, short construction periods, an efficient production process, high lithium recovery rates, and environmental sustainability. The emission standards of this project exceed **environmental regulations by more than one fold, thereby contributing to the efficient, green, and sustainable development of salt lake mineral resources.” ” A significant advantage brought about by the key extraction and separation technologies for lithium recovery from Qinghai’s salt lakes is that the lithium-containing liquid produced through these methods has a high grade and purity; no further artificial evaporation and concentration is required, allowing it to be used directly in the production of high-quality lithium carbonate, which greatly reduces energy consumption. He Wanghai said, “By adopting extraction technology to achieve efficient utilization of lithium in an environmentally friendly manner, we are the pioneers and practitioners in this field.” Going forward, we will continue to make progress in the field of lithium extraction from salt lakes, aiming to improve the utilization rate of lithium resources and reduce production costs. ” In response to the global trend of expanding lithium mining, from power batteries to energy storage stations, and from electric vehicles to consumer electronics, lithium is an irreplaceable fundamental material. As the world’s largest producer of power battery capacity and its biggest electric vehicle market, China has a continuously rising demand for lithium resources in the upstream sector. Our country is a major global producer of lithium resources, boasting resource advantages derived from multiple sources including salt lakes, hard rocks, and micas. In the past, it was not easy to extract lithium from the salt lakes in Qinghai in an economical manner; this is also a key reason why China leads the world in battery manufacturing, yet still relies to some extent on imports for lithium resources. There are 33 salt lakes in the Qaidam Basin in Qinghai. Public information shows that as of December 2023, 21 of them were in operation. As an extremely arid region, the salt lake mining areas in Qinghai suffer from either a shortage of fresh water or strictly limited water usage quotas. A common challenge faced by salt lake production enterprises in Qinghai is the constraint of producing output based on water availability; to extract 1 ton of lithium carbonate, more than 260 to 300 tons of fresh water are required. Lithium carbonate production enterprises in Qinghai’s salt lakes adopt technical approaches suitable for their specific conditions, based on the different characteristics of the brines in those areas. The processes used for extracting lithium from salt lakes include absorption membrane methods and extraction methods; different technical approaches are employed depending on the type of brine containing lithium or the raw brine used. When considering energy conservation, it is necessary to take into account not only economic benefits but also ecological impacts. In response, Li Lijuan said that the greatest benefit of this breakthrough in key technology is the simultaneous reduction in freshwater consumption and electricity use, making the process more environmentally friendly. Firstly, by independently designing and synthesizing a new type of lithium-specific extractant, we have enabled the extractant to meet higher standards in terms of high flash point, low volatility, and low water solubility, thereby making the production process more environmentally friendly and safer. Secondly, extracting 1 ton of lithium carbonate from salt lakes requires about 15 tons of fresh water, which leads to a corresponding decrease in water consumption and electricity use. Lithium carbonate, the basic raw material for batteries, accounts for about 30% of the battery’s cost. This technological breakthrough has significantly reduced the production costs associated with extracting lithium carbonate from salt lakes, impacting various industries such as batteries, energy storage, and new energy applications. As the price of lithium carbonate rebounded strongly from its lows in the first half of 2025, the global lithium mining industry is experiencing an unprecedented wave of expansion. The current expansion of lithium mining operations goes beyond mere price-driven factors; it reflects, at a deeper level, the strategic emphasis placed by various countries on the security of the supply chains in the new energy industry. Whether it is the rapid resumption of operations by foreign mining companies or the vertical integration efforts of Chinese enterprises, these developments underscore the pivotal role of lithium resources in the global energy transition. Experts say that competition in the market going forward will not only involve the control of resources, as well as production capacity and costs, but also a comprehensive assessment of efficiency and systemic capabilities. Under conditions of limited resources, it is essential to rely on technological innovation to drive the green transformation of production methods, making full and optimal use of every resource in order to enhance the overall systemic competitiveness of the industry.