SHANGHAI, Aug 24 (SMM) - Lithium, as the metal element with the smallest atomic weight, is also the lightest element in nature and the element with the lowest standard electrode potential. It has extremely strong electrochemical activity and is an excellent choice for the manufacturing of battery materials. Therefore, there is substantial rigid demands in power and energy storage systems that require high specific energy due to its irreplaceability, and is also known as the "white oil of the future". Global lithium resources are mainly found in spodumene, lepidolite and brine lake. Among them, the brine lake system accounts for about 60% of the global lithium reserves. And the resource scale and exploitation potential will be even more considerable if all kinds of deep brine, oil and gas field brine are counted in.
Brine lakes are mainly formed in closed basins with arid and semi-arid climates at high altitudes, and underground hot springs or rivers will bring lithium resources into them through a long period of time. The brine lake systems are categorised into carbonate-type, sulphate-type and chloride-type lakes, and the resources are mainly discovered in Chile, the United States, Bolivia, Argentina, Russia and China. Proven important lithium-containing brine lakes include Atacama in Chile, Uyuni in Bolivia, Homebreto in Argentina, Dead Sea in the Middle East, Zabuye in Tibet, China, and Qinghai Salt Lake in China. Among them, the carbonate-type brine lake has the best grade, with crude lithium carbonate obtained directly through precipitation, and it is mainly distributed in South America. The brine lakes in China are mainly sulphuric acid type and chloride type, with relatively high content of magnesium and lithium.
Domestic brine lakes are mainly located in Qinghai and Tibet. The lithium extraction technology of Qinghai Salt Lake has achieved a breakthrough, and the process routes of the top-tier salt lakes are basically decided. And with the improvement of technology, lithium extraction from brine lakes has gradually advanced to the mainstream. At present, the lithium production environment in Qinghai and Tibet is quite different. Due to the long sunshine time and high temperature, the Qinghai Salt Lake needs to excavate artificial salt fields to divert water; and due to the higher magnesium-lithium content, the process is more complicated than the direct crystallisation method in Tibet. However, the brine lake system is mostly the production base for potash fertilizer, and its infrastructure is relatively sophisticated and in good condition. It is expected that with the improvement of technology and the advancement of demonstration projects in the future, the development of high-quality brine lakes in Qinghai and other areas is also expected to achieve positive progress.
