Like with other buzzwords simply referring to something as DLE...

Like with other buzzwords simply referring to something as DLE doesn't tell you much.
DLE is not a specific technology but rather a generic sales pitch.
Thus far the closest summary of what exactly DLE is seem to be simply.... to shorten the timeframe of normal 15months evaporation ponds and try and do without any type of evaporation ponds to get to LiCl.
The particular type of "DLE" , upstream prep and downstream processing will vary wildly based on the resource type etc.
It's not like there is this magical tech that goes from brine source straight to LCE.

Found this.
I'm enjoying the read so far.

Warren, Ian. 2021. Techno-Economic Analysis of Lithium Extraction from Geothermal Brines.
Golden, CO: National Renewable Energy Laboratory. NREL/TP-5700-79178.
https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy21osti/799178.pdf

Authored by NREL.
NREL is the principal research laboratory for DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
NREL also conducts research for DOE's Office of Science and Office of Electricity.
Through an interagency agreement, a government organization other than DOE, such as the U.S. Department of Defense, can directly fund NREL's work.

900 Active partners for those that want to sleuth connections / conflict of interests
https://www.nrel.gov/workingwithus/partners/partners-a-z.html#v

Blanked the company names etc cause I'm not interested in who is doing it, just on what is being done and the results.
Will need to do a spreadsheet to see what the proposed operating costs are for these "DLE" projects.
Mostly Ion exchange, 1 Absoption, 1 Solvent extraction.

Some articles claimed that Livent is using DLE at their Fenix project - but I don't know what they are smoking since this site is still using evaporation ponds. How is that "DLE".







Some more on different types of "DLE"




Early days into the research but thought I'd share anyway and get some input from other posters.