Our Technology
Electrodialysis and Ceramic Membranes is a unique combination facilitates efficient lithium recovery by separating lithium ions from other brine impurities without the need for chemical additives or excessive energy consumption.
WHAT SETS US APART?
Economic Viability
Extract lithium from low-grade brine feedstock economically.
Energy Consumption
Our process is one of the most energy-efficient, powered by renewable energy sources, reducing our environmental impact.
High Purity
Achieve high purity lithium extraction, irrespective of impurities in the feedstock.
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PURITY
Our unique membrane technology enables us to extract lithium from resources with very low concentrations. When combined with electrodialysis, we achieve lithium products with over 99% purity continuously sourced from seawater.
Processes
Extraction Technology
Lithium Infinity’s proprietary ceramic membrane is made from solid-state lithium superconductors, an advanced inorganic material known for its remarkable ability to selectively transport lithium ions over other metal ions. This material is the only solid-state compound scientifically proven to offer such extreme selectivity:
SLi/Mg > 430,000 SLi/Na > 16,000
As a result, it is the only membrane technology capable of extracting lithium from ultra-low concentration resources, such as seawater (0.2 ppm). Combined with electrodialysis, our system continuously extracts lithium at a purity level exceeding 99% from seawater.
Energy consumption is minimal, and the entire extraction process can be powered by solar energy. Additionally, the valuable by-products—hydrogen and chlorine—can be sold to offset energy costs, making the process not only sustainable but also highly cost-effective.
Large-Scale Membrane Fabrication
The ceramic membrane can be mass-produced using conventional glass manufacturing techniques, potentially reducing the membrane cost to under $10 per square meter. In comparison, ion-exchange materials used in competing technologies typically cost over $1,000 per square meter.
Additionally, the Lithium Infinity membrane is designed for greater durability, requiring less maintenance than those used by our DLE competitors, further enhancing its cost-efficiency and operational longevity.
Application
Lithium Extraction from Seawater
In 2021, Lithium Infinity team successfully tested our technology which enriched lithium from seawater concentration (~0.21 ppm) to up to 9000 ppm (Energy Environ. Sci., 2021, 14, 3152).
Seawater represented the most challenging case of low-grade lithium resource with the lowest lithium concentration (~0.2 ppm) and the highest Mg/Li ratio (> 7000), which we have conquered.
Having said that, it would take over one million tons of seawater (0.2 ppm) to produce one tonne of lithium carbonate.
LiHyTech’s proprietary technology could be applied to substantially more economical sources of brine feedstock, which are also abundant in nature.
Pilot Study – Oilfield Produced Water
Oilfield brine represents a fantastic prospect for Lithium Infinity to further apply our technology and achieve commercialization, due to three main advantages:
- Zero drilling capital
- Pumping and disposal of oilfield brine is already a sunk cost by operators and not additional cost to DLE
- Strong support from Saudi government and partners to bring our technology to commercialization
Early review of oilfield brine samples is inspiring, with lithium content and impurity composition exceeding our expectations, especially low Mg/Li ratio (<30) in many samples. LiHyTech expects a pilot module to be finished in the next six months with production capacity of 100kg LCE / annum from oilfield brine (1/10 to 1/100 the size of our actual extraction module), incorporating mature engineering designs which simulate actual field operations.
Plug & Play
Refurbished shipping containers can be easily transported and seamlessly integrated into any oilfield water treatment or disposal system for immediate deployment.
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100% Solar-Powered
Each modular unit is equipped with AI-driven solar panels on five sides, continuously adjusting their angles throughout the day to maximize solar power generation.
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Fully Automated
The production process is fully automated and continuous, requiring minimal human intervention, allowing for efficient and streamlined operations.
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Our Module
Business model
Direct seawater extraction
Extract lithium througn
comprehensive utilization Of seawater
Lithium reserves
Extract lithium from
- salt lakes with
complex chemical compositions - leftover lithium carnallite tailing
Inferior resources
Extract lithium from Oiltield produced
water, mining wastewater, geothermal wells. etc at competitive cost
seawater desalination
Extract lithium and other valuable metals through heavily concentrated brines after reverse osmosis