US-based ILiAD Technologies has launched ILiAD+, an advancement in direct lithium extraction (DLE) designed to improve impurity rejection while reducing capital and operating costs.
The ILiAD+ process increases impurity rejection by more than 85% and improves the lithium-to-sodium equivalent ratio by over six times, cutting lithium production costs by 10% or more, according to the company.
ILiAD+ targets the most stubborn post-DLE impurities—boron, calcium, potassium, magnesium and manganese—minimizing the need for costly downstream processes like clarifiers and ion exchange. As a result, developers can reduce the use of reagents such as lime, hydrochloric acid (HCl) and sodium hydroxide (NaOH), while also cutting back on sludge disposal.
The new process was recently validated on geothermal brine from the Salton Sea, where ILiAD’s sister company ESM ATLiS is advancing Project ATLiS, a 22,000-ton-per-year lithium hydroxide facility. Given the complexity of geothermal brines, the results suggest broad potential for ILiAD+ across a range of global lithium resources, the company said.
“The key to effective DLE is the ability to selectively capture lithium while rejecting impurities from the feed brine,” said Samuel Moore, Chief Executive Officer of ILiAD Technologies. “ILiAD+ delivers a step change in performance, making the promise of DLE a reality. Geothermal brine is often considered one of the more challenging brines to work with and we are excited at the results we will see from other brines.”
Source: ILiAD Technologies
