10k membranes for China salt lake lithium extraction

LG Chem has supplied more than 10,000 reverse osmosis (RO) membranes to China’s largest salt lake lithium extraction project.

The membranes at the Guoan lithium extraction project led by CITIC Group, China’s largest state-owned investment company, enables 20,000 tons of lithium carbonate production annually – equivalent to manufacturing batteries for nearly half a million EVs.

The RO membrane significantly reduces the amount of energy required for lithium production.

To obtain lithium dissolved in salt lakes, water must be evaporated through heating to increase its concentration, while using RO membranes allows water molecules to quickly filter out and avoids heating.

LG Chem’s RO membrane is mainly used for seawater desalination, while five out of nine salt lake lithium extraction projects in China use it.

The RO membrane market in China is expected to grow by more than 8% annually, reaching NZ$2.698 billion by 2025.

LG Chem plans to expand sales there and in South America.

It’s collaborating with Korea University to develop RO membranes for next-generation direct lithium extraction (DLE) process that extracts lithium directly from the salt lakes, reducing the lead time for concentrating lithium from months to hours.

“In line with the surge in global demand for lithium, LG Chem will lead the market by combining our global leadership in battery materials and RO membranes,” says LG water solutions head Dr Hyung Hoon.