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Lithium Recovery from Challenging Deposits: Zinnwaldite and Magnesium‐Rich Salt Lake Brines
Author(s) -
Bertau Martin,
Voigt Wolfgang,
Schneider Anke,
Martin Gunther
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
chembioeng reviews
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.089
H-Index - 22
ISSN - 2196-9744
DOI - 10.1002/cben.201700011
Subject(s) - lithium (medication) , leaching (pedology) , magnesium , geology , salt (chemistry) , geochemistry , chemistry , soil science , organic chemistry , medicine , endocrinology , soil water
Lithium can be found in its bound form in silicatic rocks and dissolved in salt lake brines. Both types of lithium resources, whose amounts exceed the expected demand for lithium by several times, are used for lithium recovery. The known lithium resources and their geochemical characteristics are reviewed together with the presently applied recovery processes which are still very similar to the historically early techniques. New processes for direct carbonization of zinnwaldite, hydrochloric and oxalic acid leaching as well as a new method for the recovery of lithium from magnesium‐rich brines are presented.