The state-owned Bolivian National Strategic Public Company of Lithium Deposits (Yacimientos de Litio Bolivianos, YLB) has submitted an application to patent a process for the direct extraction of lithium from complex brines, as well as the industrial design of a fast-charging portable charger.

The Patent of Invention and the Patent of Industrial Design were requested from the National Intellectual Property Service (SENAPI).

The first application is for an invention patent entitled: “Procedure for the synthesis of a Laminar Aluminum-Lithium Double Hydroxide (Al/Li LDH) adsorbent for direct lithium extraction.” This process enables miners to extract a material that has high selectivity for lithium and high adsorption and desorption capacity, representing an advance in the recovery of lithium from brines that contain a high magnesium/lithium ratio, such as those found in the Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia.

The second application is for an industrial design patent for a “Portable Fast Charging Charger” that integrates a lithium-ion battery and an intelligent control system, multiple protection, as well as USB Type A and Type C connectors.

In 2023, YLB obtained its first invention patent for the development of its own method for obtaining high-purity 99.5-99.9% grade lithium carbonate.

“We are requesting intellectual property protection to safeguard copyright and strengthen YLB’s innovation and industrial property strategy,” said Mauricio Álvarez, Research and Development Manager at YLB. “With these initiatives, YLB reaffirms its leadership in the region and its commitment to technological development, sustainability and adding value to the country’s evaporite resources.”

Source: YLB