Lithium extraction technology could be developed to convert a plentiful unused resource into high grade lithium and valuable by-products, with promising results revealed in a recent report.

The project, part of a major collaboration between the Minerals Research Institute of Western Australia (MRIWA), Murdoch University and sponsors Lithium Australia and Venus Metals Corp, sought to develop new technology for battery grade lithium production.

The project also aimed to capture valuable byproducts from the extraction of high-grade lithium carbonate from certain groupings of minerals, known as micas.

Associate Professor Aleks Nikoloski from the Harry Butler Institute at Murdoch University led the project investigating how chemical process conditions could be optimised to separate impurities, resulting in a purified lithium product liquor.

“Being able to extract battery-grade lithium carbonate from a previously unused resource, micas containing lithium, will significantly boost the state’s supply of battery minerals,” Professor Nikoloski said.

The project successfully identified the key process parameters, including the type of reagents used, reagent dosages, effects of seeding and electrochemical conditions in each process unit of the flow sheet.

These parameters extended to the rates and extents of precipitation of the relevant impurities and their influence on the lithium deportment.

Minimising lithium loss

Professor Nikoloski established how to minimise the loss of lithium during the purification process by carefully identifying the characteristics of all the solid chemical compounds produced in this process and determining how much lithium sticks to each compound.

The production of higher value products from the purified product, such as battery grade lithium carbonate or lithium hydroxide, by a novel membrane process known as electrodialysis was also investigated.

“Products such as high purity lithium hydroxide are important because they can be used as key precursor chemicals in the production of lithium ion batteries,” Professor Nikoloski said.

“We were also interested in discovering the potential for residues from each impurity separation process to be converted into a marketable by-products.

There were a number of potentially valuable by-products identified, including potassium sulphate, caesium, rubidium, sodium silicate and high-grade gypsum, and we are currently investigating relevant process options further.”

Researchers also identified ways to lower the cost and environment footprint of lithium production through the reuse of certain critical reagents such as alunite and fluorite.

In releasing the research report, MRIWA CEO Nicole Roocke said “This is a fine example of industry and academic collaboration, with assistance from government, to meet the needs of our times.

"This project is an important foundation on which the recently funded Future Battery Minerals Cooperative Research Centre (FBI CRC) will build.

“The State Government’s Future Battery Industry Strategy demonstrates a commitment to a future battery industry in Western Australia with an emphasis on research and technology sector development across the battery value chain.

“Targeted research has the potential to grow the battery metals and mining equipment, technology and services sectors in Western Australian delivering substantial economic benefits and new jobs in the future."

The technical report summarising the research findings can be found on the MRIWA website.