SYSTEM AND PROCESS FOR DIRECT

LITHIUM EXTRACTION AND

PRODUCTION OF LOW CARBON
INTENSITY LITHIUM CHEMICAL
FROM GEOTHERMAL BRINES
INTEGRANTES:
NAHELY MAYHORI ARENAS FLORES
MIGUEL ÁNGEL BEJARANO COLQUE
ESTEFANY JULIA VILLA CHOQUE
ABSTRACT

A system and process for direct lithium extraction from geotermal brines, and more
particular to the sequential combination of a binary cycle geotermal plant (200), a
direct lithium circut (400), a lithium chloride concentration and purification circut
(600), and a lithium battery chemical processing circut (800), for the production of
battery-quality lithium hydroxide monohydrate, lithium carbonate or both from
geothermal brines. The processing circuits are powered by the binary cycle geotermal
plant without the use of carbón-based fuels. Non-condensable gases taht may come out
of solution from the geotermal brine are not emitted into the atmosphere.
CLAIMS
1. System for production of battery-quality lithium hydroxide monohydrate, lithium
carbonate or both from a geothermal brine, said system comprising; a binary cycle
geothermal plant (200); a direct lithium extraction circuit (400) positioned
downstream of said binary cycle geothermal plant; said direct lithium extraction
circuit configured to selectively recover lithium or lithium chloride from said
geothermal brine to produce a lithium concentrate stream; said direct lithium
extraction circuit powered by electricity generated from said binary cycle geothermal
plant with no carbon-based fuel consumption.

2. System as claimed in Claim 1, further comprising a chemical inhibitor circuit

(100), wherein the binary cycle geothermal plant (200) is positioned downstream
from said chemical inhibitor circuit.
CLAIMS
3. System as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims further comprising a brine
pre-conditioning circuit (300) that is configured to remove deleterious components
from said geothermal brine as oxides, hydroxides and/or oxyhydroxides; said brine
pre-conditioning circuit being positioned intermediate of said binary cycle geothermal
plant (200) and said direct lithium extraction circuit (400), wherein said brine pre-
conditioning circuit is preferably configured to oxidize said geothermal brine and/or
modify a pH of said geothermal brine to selectively precipitate said deleterious
components from said geothermal brine.
4. System as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, wherein said direct lithium
extraction circuit (400) 1s further configured to selectively recover lithium or lithium
chloride from said geothermal brine using adsorption, ion exchange, onic liquids,
and/or solvent extraction to selectively remove lithium from said geothermal brine to
form said lithium chloride concentrate stream.
CLAIMS

5. System as clalmed in Claim 4 wherein said adsorption uses a manufactured resin-

based alumina imbibed adsorbent, a lithium alumina intercalates adsorbent, an
alumina imbibed ion exchange resin, or an alumina-based adsorbent, wherein said
ion exchange uses a metal oxide ion exchange material, said metal oxide ion
exchange material preferably comprising LiaTibMncFedSbcCufVgOh, wherein [a-f]
are numbers between 0 and 1 and h is a number between 1 and 10, or, wherein [a-f]
are numbers between 0 and 1 and h is a number between 1 and 10, and/or
LiaTibMncFedSbcCufVgOh wherein said solvent extraction uses perfluoroethers
(PFE), hydrofluoroethers (HFE), etc.
CLAIMS
6. System as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims wherein said lithium battery
chemical processing circuit (800) further comprises an electrolysis circuit (700)
configured to form a lithium hydroxide concentrate stream from said upgraded lithium
chloride concentrate stream of said lithium chloride concentration and purification
circuit (600).

7. System as claimed in Claim 6 wherein said electrolysis circuit (700) comprises an

electrochemical or electrodialysis cell having an anode chamber with an anode
electrode and a cathode chamber with a cathode electrode, wherein said
electrochemical or electrodialysis cell preferably comprises a single compartment or
multiple compartment electrochemical or electrolysis cell, and wherein said electrolysis
circuit is preferably powered by electricity and heat generated from said binary cycle
geothermal plant (200) with no carbon-based fuel input.
CLAIMS

8. System as claimed in any one of Claims 6 and 7 further comprising a lithium

hydroxide processing circuit (1100) positioned downstream of said electrolysis
circuit (700), said lithium hydroxide processing circuit configured to form
lithium hydroxide monohydrate from said lithium hydroxide concentrate stream
of said electrolysis circuit, wherein said lithium hydroxide processing circuit is
preferably configured to produce battery-quality lithium hydroxide monohydrate
from said lithium hydroxide concentrate stream, and wherein said lithium
hydroxide processing circuit is preferably powered by electricity and heat
generated from said binary cycle geothermal plant (200) with no carbon-based
fuel input.
THANKS FOR YOUR
ATTENTION.