View from Space, page-210

Good morning from Germany!

Since there is a lot of discussion here about water consumption and the DLE process,
some people should read up on the DLE process.

So far, no company has been able to successfully implement this process.

The water consumption is higher than with conventional processes, and to make matters worse,
you have to use a lot of chemicals to dissolve the lithium from other metals or materials.
What remains is a lump of sludge that is contaminated with all kinds of non-healthy substances.

On the equipment side, there are also the problems of material wear, because a mixture of lye,
in conjunction with particles that resemble a grinding paste, do not ensure that a permanent and safe process is guaranteed.

Apart from all these points, the experts agree that the lithium recovery rates reported so far in laboratory tests must be regarded as much too optimistic in reality.