Li1−xNi0.33Co1/3Mn1/3O2/Ag for electrochemical lithium recovery from brine

• Published in: Chemical engineering journal (Lausanne, Switzerland : 1996) Vol. 348; pp. 1000 - 1011
• Main Authors: Lawagon, Chosel P., Nisola, Grace M., Cuevas, Rosemarie Ann I., Kim, Hern, Lee, Seong-Poong, Chung, Wook-Jin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 15.09.2018
• Subjects: Brine; Electrochemical; LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2; Lithium; Recovery; Silver; Silver; Lithium; LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2; Recovery; Brine; Electrochemical
• ISSN: 1385-8947; 1873-3212
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cej.2018.05.030

•Li1−xNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2 (NCM)/Ag electrochemically captured Li+ from brine.•At reverse applied current (i), NCM/Ag released LiCl in recovery solution.•NCM/Ag energy consumption was minimized at varied i, time, and feed [Li+].•LNCM/Ag operation can be cycled to produce 96% Li+ using 2.60 W·h mol−1 Li+.•LNCM/Ag can significantly reduce operation time for Li+ mining from brines. With the heightened global demand for lithium, more energy-efficient processes with fast Li+ production rates are essential for sustainable Li+ supply. Electrochemical Li+ recovery is a promising method that could satisfy these process necessities. However, its success requires highly effective electrodes that could selectively capture Li+ at a competitive uptake capacity with minimal energy requirement. Delithiated Li1−xNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2 (NCM) paired with silver (Ag) is introduced as a new electrochemical system for Li+ recovery from brine. NCM is characterized by its high Li+ selectivity and stability in aqueous environment. At an applied current in brine, NCM was able to intercalate Li+ into its lattice while the Ag captured the Cl− counter-ion. Reversal of the current in a receiving solution prompted the release of LiCl. Under optimal conditions (i = ±0.25 mA cm−2), NCM can produce 96.4% pure Li+ from brine by expending 2.60 W·h mol−1 Li+. The NCM/Ag was able to perform consistently and produce an enriched LiCl solution in cycled operations. These promising results indicate that NCM/Ag can be developed as a high-throughput Li+ mining process with low energy requirement.