Oilfield services company SLB (aka Schlumberger), has proven its lithium production process at scale at its demonstration plant in Clayton Valley, Nevada.

The Nevada demonstration plant integrates direct lithium extraction (DLE), concentration and conversion technologies to produce lithium from brine 500 times faster than conventional methods while using only 10% of the land, as well as less water and chemical reagents, according to the company. Verified results confirm 96% recovery of lithium from brine at operational rates.

SLB’s process includes advanced impurity treatment and concentration technologies to produce high-purity lithium carbonate or hydroxide. It returns the spent brine, or the brine with a reduced lithium concentration, back to its source after the lithium is processed and separated. The entire process—from extracting lithium from brine to converting it to technical-grade lithium carbonate—takes just hours. By comparison, evaporation methods can take up to 18 months and have a much lower recovery rate of 50 percent or less.

“Lithium is a key enabler of electrification, so we must find ways to accelerate its production without adversely affecting the environment,” said Gavin Rennick, President of SLB’s New Energy business. “SLB’s demonstration plant in Clayton Valley proves our unique integrated approach to produce scalable quantities of lithium in the fastest, most economical and sustainable way for today’s market.”

Source: SLB