Innovative Membrane Technology Developed to Extract Lithium from Water

Lithium, the lightest metal in the periodic table, plays a crucial role in modern life. Its lightweight and high energy density make it an ideal choice for electric vehicles, mobile phones, laptops, and military technology, where every ounce counts. With the soaring demand for lithium, concerns about supply and reliability are increasing. According to foreign media reports, to meet the surging demand and tackle potential supply chain issues, scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory have developed an innovative membrane technology that efficiently extracts lithium from water. Several team members also hold positions at the University of Chicago's Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering. The related research findings were published in the journal Advanced Materials. "The new membrane we developed offers a potential low-cost and abundant alternative for domestic lithium extraction," said Seth Darling, Chief Science and Technology Officer of the Advanced Energy Technologies Council at Argonne National Laboratory. He is also the Director of the Advanced Materials for Energy-Water Systems (AMEWS) at Argonne and a senior scientist at PME. Currently, most of the world's lithium resources come from hard rock mines and salt lakes in a few countries, making the supply chain vulnerable to disruptions. However, most of the lithium on Earth is actually dissolved in seawater and underground brine reserves. The problem lies in the high costs, energy consumption, and inefficiencies involved in extracting lithium from these unconventional sources, as traditional methods struggle to separate lithium from other more abundant elements like sodium and magnesium.