Lithium Ark Green + Technology
Lithium Ark is the developer and patent-holder of Green+ Lithium Refining, a process that combines the best practices of the lithium and chlor-alkali sectors.
A simplified Flow Diagram for Green+ Lithium is represented by:​
The Green Lithium process directly converts Lithium Chloride (LiCl) feedstock into battery-grade Lithium Hydroxide (LiOH-BG). Through the company's trademarked process called Lithium Flex, the Green Refinery retains the optionality to easily convert LiOH-BG into Lithium Carbonate-BG by simply adding CO2. Lithium Flex enables Green Refineries the flexibility to produce either Lithium Hydroxide or Lithium Carbonate on-the-fly to respond to ever changing battery chemistries, architectures and markets.
How Green Lithium Works:
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Green Lithium Refining is a novel process that borrows several key building blocks found outside the lithium sector, namely the chlor-alkali sector, and applies these proven methodologies to address short-comings in traditional Grey Refining. The first building block is a reciprocal salt system that performs the heavy lifting of important chemical reactions – and does so in a very predictable, repeatable and dependable way.
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The reciprocal salt system for Green Lithium is provided by:
Lithium Chloride is mixed with Potassium Hydroxide (KOH), creating two new salts Lithium Hydroxide (LiOH) and Potassium Chloride (KCl). KCl is a valuable by-product purchased in large quantities by the food industry.
Favourable Solubility Curves Enable Low-Cost Crystallization:
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A Green Refinery is able to easily separate LiOH and KCl from solution because the solubility curves for these salts are sloped in inverse directions.
Specifically, a Green Refinery is able to selectively crystallize KCl from solution by cooling (~20 °C) without co-crystallizing the LiOH. Similarly, the Green Refinery can then selectively crystallize LiOH from solution via evaporative heating (~90 °C) ) without co-crystallizing KCl. Once crystalized, Lithium Hydroxide-BG and Potassium Chloride are washed and dried.
GREEN+ Lithium
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At its core, a Green Lithium Refinery is primarily a crystallization module that exploits a reciprocal salt system and advantageous solubility curves to produce LiOH-BG and KCl-Food Grade. Better yet, a Green Refinery can upgrade its capabilities to a Green+ Refinery by adding an electrolysis module to further increase ESG and financial performance.
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The electrolysis module is used to recycle its Potassium Chloride (KCl) back into Potassium Hydroxide (KOH) to start the process anew, making the entire process circular. The Green+ Refinery's electrolysis of Potassium Chloride also generates beneficial by-products such as Hydrochloric Acid (HCl), Chlorine Gas (Cl2), and Hydrogen Gas (H2).
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The Green+ Refining process eliminates the need for externally-sourced reagents, such as Lime and Soda Ash, as well as carbon-based feedstocks, such as Lithium Carbonate. As a consequence, a Green+ Refinery using Lithium Chloride feedstock generates virtually zero waste or carbon emission.
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Depending on the composition of lithium chloride feedstock and its impurities Lithium Ark designs the best location to feed the lithium chloride and potassium hydroxide with the main objective reducing the energy requirement. The purge is used in the lithium chloride brine purification.
