Selective extraction of lithium over alkali and alkaline earth ions by synergistic solvent extraction.

ABSTRACT: Direct lithium extraction (DLE) from natural surface and geothermal brines is very challenging due to the low ratio of lithium to other metals, and the lack of suitable materials that bind lithium with sufficiently high selectivity. In this paper, a synergistic solvent extraction system is described that comprises a liquid ion exchanger (saponified bis(2-ethylhexyl)dithiophosphoric acid) and a lithium-selective ligand (2,9-dibutyl-1,10-phenanthroline) in an aliphatic diluent. The extraction mechanism was investigated and was confirmed to involve the binding of lithium to the selective ligand, while the liquid ion exchanger facilitates the transfer of metal ions from the aqueous to the organic phase. The variables influencing the selectivity for lithium were also determined. The selectivity

SUBMITTER: Raiguel S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11694342 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature