Hello LKE HC forum. Newbie here to this forum. I am still doing my research on LKE. Looking seriously into investing into it. I own other lithium miners but none are brine. I would have assumed that someone else would have posted about the DLE process that IBAT is working on. But, if they haven't, here is a link on their process: https://www.innovationnewsnetwork.com/ibats-direct-lithium-extraction-technology/20994/#:~:text=We%20demonstrated%20that%20the%20direct,had%20some%20serious%20efficiency%20issues.
Here is a small part of it:
IBAT’s direct lithium extraction technologyOver the last four years, we have worked to integrate this selective absorbent with a highly efficient modular and mobile extraction plant. First, IBAT’s direct lithium extraction technology takes advantage of an improved version of the ‘selective absorbent’ invented by Dr John Burba and Dr Bill Bauman in the early 1990s. As stated above, this absorbent will extract lithium and chloride ions selectively from high salinity brines.The sorbent rejects other salt components such as sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sulfate, and borate. IBAT’s process operates on a brine-water cycle, unlike virtually all other DLE systems. Lithium chloride is absorbed from the brine and released into the water. Unlike other DLE processes, acid and base are not necessary. Thus, the corresponding waste salts do not exist in the IBAT process. This inherently creates a cleaner operation.Several other key distinctions exist between IBAT’s patented process and other proposed DLE processes.1) IBAT’s plant is modular and mobile. This means we can build our entire plant in a fabrication shop in months. Conventional lithium extraction plants require between five and 12 years to construct and start-up. Correspondingly, IBAT’s plants will cost much less than traditional plants.Furthermore, IBAT’s modules can be transported and assembled at the resource. The benefits are not limited to time and capital cost. There is also a huge environmental advantage. Conventional plants have large buildings on large concrete foundations that will remain in place long after the operation is finished. When IBAT reaches the end of an operation, the equipment will be moved to another location. We will leave a clean site.2) IBAT’s plant is designed to produce minimal environmental damage during lithium extraction. We have incorporated several novel technologies that are very environmentally protective.a) IBAT has developed novel water recovery technology that recycles approximately 98% of the plant’s process water. Solar evaporation projects require enormous quantities of fresh groundwater to support their operations. This has been a significant problem in areas where indigenous peoples farm and ranch. IBAT will not compete with local people for precious water resources. Due to our water recovery innovations, we will not need local water.b) With the concurrence of country regulators, IBAT prefers to inject lithium depleted brine back into salars in Chile and Argentina. A great deal of history in the US suggests that this process can be done safely. The advantage is that we will not be polluting vast resource areas with huge quantities of salt waste.c) Our process is designed to minimise our carbon footprint. We plan to incorporate renewable energy into our plants. We will utilise solar energy. We are also investigating other novel and exciting renewable energy systems that can provide thermal and electrical energy.
Is lilac's DLE similar?
IBAT's DLE states that it doesn't use the acid & little water.
If Lilac's DLE system is anything like the IBAT system, I would be confident in going that route.
If the DLE system doesn't work, How much time/money would LKE waste getting a conventional brine evaporation system up & running?
Thank you.
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