
Lithium Ark Blue Lithium Refinery
Blue Lithium Refining is a process that is highly sought by companies in the nitrogen processing sector who wish to exploit existing capabilities in the manufacture of urea, ammonium, and other nitrogen-based products to also produce battery-grade lithium chemicals.
Lithium Ark is the inventor and patent-holder of Blue Lithium Refining. The process operates at the intersection of the lithium- and nitrogen-processing sectors.
A simplified Flow Diagram for Blue Lithium is represented by:

Blue Lithium Refining uses Lithium Carbonate-TG as feedstock. As the flow diagram shows, Lithium Carbonate-TG is converted directly into Lithium Hydroxide-BG, with the added benefit of Potassium Nitrate as by-product. However, Lithium Carbonate feedstock contains carbon in its molecular structure. Inherent to processing carbon-based lithium feedstock, both Blue & Grey Lithium release carbon dioxide. This characteristic is far from ideal if one wishes to completely de-carbonize lithium processing itself.
How Blue Lithium Works:
Blue Lithium Refining is based on a reciprocal salt system:

Lithium Carbonate-TG is blended with Nitric Acid (HNO3) and Potassium Hydroxide (KOH). The mixing of these three ingredients results in a new solution that includes: Lithium Nitrate (LiNO3), Potassium Hydroxide (KOH), Lithium Hydroxide (LiOH) and Potassium Nitrate (KNO3).
Ultra-Low Cost Crystallization:
Potassium Nitrate (KNO3) has a remarkably steep solubility curve that enables the Blue Refinery to selectively crystallize KNO3 by cooling (20 °C) without co-crystallizing Lithium Hydroxide (LiOH). The slight downward slope of LiOH’s solubility curve enables the Blue Refinery to selectively crystallize LiOH via evaporation at higher temperature (90 °C) without co-crystallizing KNO3.

A moderately-sized Blue Lithium Refinery generates notable quantities of KNO3 fertilizer at virtually no cost. This is made possible by converting 3 low-value inputs (LiCl, Nitric Acid, KOH) into 2 high-value end products (LiOH-BG and KNO3). Low-temperature processing minimizes the plant's thermal power consumption.
Blue Lithium Refining is a process that is highly sought by companies in the nitrogen processing sector who wish to exploit existing capabilities in the manufacture of urea, ammonium, and other nitrogen-based products to also produce battery-grade lithium chemicals. A Blue Lithium Refinery (30ktpa) would generate ~85% of its revenue from sales of LiOH-BG and the remaining sales from Potassium Nitrate.

For 1 ton Lithium Hydroxide battery-grade (LiOH.H2O)

1.5
Tons of Reagents (allocation to LiOH.H2O)

74% Less
Electricity compared to LiCl-Electrolysis.

Lowest
OPEX of all refinery types. (Including the sales credit of byproducts).

1%
Lithium losses

Can
Handle low purities with High Process Efficiency.

Yes
Flexible Process to produce Lithium Carbonate or Lithium Hydroxide Monohydrate.