ElectraLith’s Next-Generation DLE-R Technology Produces Battery Grade Lithium Hydroxide from Salar Brines, Geothermal Oilfield Brines and Spodumene Leach

Melbourne, Victoria, 22nd August 2024, ZEX PR WIRE, Melbourne-based ElectraLith Pty Ltd (“ElectraLith”) today announced that its next-generation DLE-R technology has successfully produced battery grade lithium hydroxide from salar brines, geothermal oilfield brines and spodumene leach using its proprietary DLE-R technology.  

Image: ElectraLith’s DLE-R

This included production of 99.9% pure lithium hydroxide from a contaminated brine comprising less than 60 parts per million (“ppm”) lithium.  The proof of concept was achieved using no water, no chemicals and minimal energy.

DLE-R is a proprietary end-to-end electro-membrane technology.  Unlike most Direct Lithium Extraction (“DLE”) technologies which generally produce lithium chloride, DLE-R can produce battery grade lithium hydroxide or lithium carbonate as its final product. 

DLE-R uses no water or chemicals and can run entirely on renewable power, delivering a step-change reduction to the environmental and economic costs of other lithium extraction processes.

“Our production of battery grade lithium hydroxide from a range of sources provides proof of concept and continues our progress towards commercialisation,” said ElectraLith CEO Charlie McGill.

“These test results validate the true potential of DLE-R across lithium resource type, quality and concentration, underpinning DLE-R’s emergence as the most economic and sustainable method for extracting and refining lithium.” 

Driven by EV demand, the global lithium market is projected to grow from USD 27 billion in 2024 to USD 134 billion by 2032 at a CAGR of 22%.  

ElectraLith’s patented DLE-stage membranes are based on revolutionary work conducted by world-renowned membrane scientist Sir John Monash Professor Laureate Huanting Wang of Monash University.

Professor Wang is chair of ElectraLith’s Science Advisory Committee and is one of the world’s most cited nanomaterials researchers.

Spun out of Monash University and backed by Rio Tinto and IP Group,  ElectraLith is emerging as the cleanest, most versatile and most cost-efficient method for extracting and refining lithium, the fundamental element of driving a sustainable future.

About DLE-R

DLE-R comprises two stages:

• DLE-stage:  Proprietary membranes extract lithium using electrodialysis to produce lithium chloride.  The DLE-stage distinguishes itself from other DLE processes by eliminating water and chemicals; it is further distinguished by its ability to extract lithium from any source, including contaminated brines of extremely low concentration.

• R-stage:  Similar electrodialysis principles convert the lithium chloride into lithium hydroxide using off-the-shelf technology in a proprietary configuration.  If required, the resulting lithium hydroxide can then be converted to lithium carbonate using a novel carbon-negative method.

Both stages are designed to operate entirely using electrodialysis, a commercially proven technology that has been deployed worldwide since the 1950s.

Proof of Concept

Validating these concepts, DLE-R produced battery grade lithium hydroxide from a range of lithium sources (salar brines, geothermal oilfield brines, spodumene leach) and geographies (US, Argentina and Australia) using no water, no chemicals and minimal energy.

This proof of concept included production of 99.9% pure lithium hydroxide from a contaminated brine comprising less than 60ppm lithium.

Image: DLE-R results

ElectraLith CEO Charlie McGill said: “We’re particularly excited about the Paradox Basin Utah result, where DLE-R produced 99.9% pure lithium hydroxide from Mandrake’s geothermal oilfield brines without water, an increasingly scarce resource in the broader Colorado River Basin.  This, coupled with the production of lithium hydroxide from a brine with less than 60ppm, demonstrates DLE-R’s ability to unlock otherwise unviable strategic reserves in the United States and Australia.”

Mandrake CEO James Allchurch commented: “The outstanding performance of the DLE-R process is a critical step forward for Mandrake as we seek to commercialise our expansive Utah Lithium Project.  DLE-R is perfectly suited to the water chemistry of the Paradox Basin and we look forward to partnering with ElectraLith in processing larger volumes of brine from the Utah Lithium Project.”

Technoeconomics

DLE-R’s proof of concept coincides with the delivery of a Technoeconomic Analysis Report conducted by Worley Consulting Pty Ltd (“Worley”).  This American Association of Cost Engineers (“AACE”) Class 5 report follows an eight-month review leveraging Worley’s global expertise in the US, Canada and Australia, as well as input from Rio Tinto.

DLE-R’s proof of concept also coincides with the delivery of a Process Model performed by Dr Mike Dry of Arithmetek Inc., a globally recognised expert in the field of process and early-stage cost modelling, as well as a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) performed by Minviro.  Minviro is a global sustainability and LCA authority with offices in the UK, Australia and China.

IP Group Australia Managing Director and ElectraLith Chair Mike Molinari commented: “These reports provide an important validation of ElectraLith’s revolutionary DLE-R process.  As we enter the prototyping stage, our relationships with these world-class consultants will be vital to delivering on DLE-R’s potential to reshape the lithium industry.”

Rio Tinto Chief Advisor for Battery Minerals and ElectraLith Non-Executive Director Travis Baroni said: “We invested in ElectraLith to support their DLE-R technology and we are pleased that it is showing real potential to significantly reduce the economic and environmental costs of lithium production.   We’re looking forward to trialling and testing the first DLE-R prototype at our Rincon Project in Argentina with the ElectraLith team.”

About ElectraLith

ElectraLith is unlocking a green future with the cleanest, fastest and most efficient method of extracting and refining lithium, the primary element of a sustainable future. ElectraLith’s cutting-edge DLE-R technology revolutionises t5he DLE and refining processes by extracting and producing battery-grade lithium hydroxide in a single, scalable and modular step. As opposed to other DLE processes, DLE-R fully eliminates the need for water and chemicals and can run entirely on renewable energy. Backed by Rio Tinto, IP Group Australia and Monash University, ElectraLith is based in Melbourne, Australia.

https://www.electralith.com.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvP9po-A6Uw

About Rio Tinto

Founded in 1873, Rio Tinto is a leading global mining and metals company dedicated to discovering, mining, and processing the Earth’s mineral resources.  Rio Tinto’s diverse portfolio includes lithium, aluminium, copper, diamonds, gold, industrial minerals, iron ore, and uranium. Rio Tinto operates under a dual listed companies (DLC) structure and is listed as Rio Tinto Limited on the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) and as Rio Tinto PLC on the London Stock Exchange

https://www.riotinto.com/

About IP Group

IP Group develops world-changing science and technology businesses across life sciences, technology and cleantech. The Group has a strong track record of success, having been the founder investor in a number of high-profile companies including Oxford Nanopore Technologies plc. In Australia and New Zealand, IP Group works in close partnership with the Go8 Universities and the University of Auckland to identify ground-breaking technologies rooted in hard science, which have the most promising commercial potential. IP Group is listed on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange under the code IPO. 

http://www.ipgroupanz.com

About Mandrake

Mandrake is an ASX-listed explorer that is advancing its large-scale lithium project in Utah’s Paradox Basin. The Company’s lithium venture spans a land area exceeding 93,000 acres (~379km2).

Mandrake has made significant progress in compiling geological and petrophysical data which has allowed it to produce a significant Exploration Target (JORC 2012) for Lithium mineralisation which ranges from 1.7 to 5.6 million tonnes of contained Lithium Carbonate Equivalent (LCE) and is now focusing the exploration efforts towards establishing a maiden Mineral Resource in the near future.

https://www.mandrakeresources.com.au/