< Back to previous page

Project

Solvometallurgy-based Process for Battery-grade Lithium Refining (SOLVOLi+)

To allow the rollout of e-mobility and energy storage, a secure supply of lithium salts for Li-ion batteries (LIBs) is key. As the chemistry of choice for LIBs is shifting towards Ni-enriched NMC622 & 811, the lithium industry needs to transition to lithium hydroxide monohydrate (LiOH·H2O) production rather than lithium carbonate (Li2CO3). LiOH·H2O production typically comprises a costly and environmentally burdensome two-step process via Li2CO3. Therefore, a clean process for direct production of LiOH·H2O, bypassing Li2CO3, is of major interest to the lithium industry. Recently, Binnemans and Jones (SOLVOMET KU Leuven) filed a patent for a two-step, solvometallurgical process that converts technical-grade LiCl directly to battery-grade LiOH·H2O, bypassing Li2CO3. In this solvometallurgical flowsheet the technical-grade LiCl can be derived from not only lithium brines but also from lithium hard rock ores and lithium-bearing metallurgical slags, provided sound pre-processing operations are put in place. In SOLVOLi+ the expanded flowsheets, from distinct primary/secondary lithium resources to battery-grade LiOH·H2O, are further developed, validated and eco-benchmarked with the state-of-the-art processing routes. A clear IPR & valorisation strategy is pursued, linking up with several companies that expressed their interest in the SOLVOLi+ technology. The C3 SOLVOLi+ consortium comprises three research groups from the KU Leuven Institute for Sustainable Metals and Minerals (SIM²): SOLVOMET (Binnemans; performing the LiCl to LiOH·H2O conversion), HiTemp (Blanpain; pyrometallurgical pre-processing of Li-ores and slags) and SAM (Van Acker; environmental & techno-economic assessment).

Date:1 Jan 2021 →  31 Dec 2022
Keywords:Solvent extraction, LCA, Metallurgy, Mining, Recycling, Lithium, Batterijen
Disciplines:Metallurgical engineering not elsewhere classified, Metals recycling and valorisation, Environmental impact and risk assessment, Inorganic green chemistry, Main group chemistry