POSCO HOLDINGS INC. 
By
- Shorting the extraction period from a year to less
than a month
- Able to separate magnesium and boron out of salt water simultaneously
POSCO developed the direct lithium extraction technology without evaporation, for the first time in the world.
On February 23, RIST, under POSCO, demonstrated the technology to directly extract lithium out of the salt water from the Great Lake of Uyuni, Bolivia through chemical reaction. This technology uses the method to extract lithium by causing chemical reaction in salt water. The extraction period was also shortened from 12 months of the existing natural evaporation method to less than 1 month. A small amount of lithium can be extracted even in 8 hours. The lithium recovery rate also rose from 50% to more than 80%. It is also possible to extract other high-value elements such as magnesium, calcium, potassium and boron separately at the same time.
Bolivian Mining Minister Luis Alberto Echazu, who participated in the event, said he was surprised by the high lithium recovery rate and that he would discuss collaboration using the POSOC`s new technology.
POSCO joined the lithium carbonate technology development program, which is supported by Ministry of Knowledge Economy, in association with Korea Resources Corporation and Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources, in April 2010, and since November 2010, it has made efforts to develop the lithium extraction technology using chemolysis without evaporation, along with Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning. In last July, POSCO completed a pilot plant which can extract 5kg of lithium out of 1000L of salt water a day and succeeded in the extraction. The company also proved its technology competitiveness and secured related intellectual properties by applying for domestic and foreign patents for around 30 related technologies.
Lithium is a core material used in manufacturing batteries for electrical vehicles and most lithium is dissolved in salt water in high concentration. Salt water with high content of lithium exists only in some countries including Chile, Argentina, Bolivia and China. Korea, the world`s first lithium battery producer, uses 12,000 tons of lithium every year but depends entirely on import without any deposits of lithium.
POSCO plans to construct foreign lithium extraction plants in association with lithium producers which have salt water, based on the new lithium extraction technology.
Kim Jiyoon ikyijy@posco.com
(Source = Material Business Office)
- Able to separate magnesium and boron out of salt water simultaneously
POSCO developed the direct lithium extraction technology without evaporation, for the first time in the world.
On February 23, RIST, under POSCO, demonstrated the technology to directly extract lithium out of the salt water from the Great Lake of Uyuni, Bolivia through chemical reaction. This technology uses the method to extract lithium by causing chemical reaction in salt water. The extraction period was also shortened from 12 months of the existing natural evaporation method to less than 1 month. A small amount of lithium can be extracted even in 8 hours. The lithium recovery rate also rose from 50% to more than 80%. It is also possible to extract other high-value elements such as magnesium, calcium, potassium and boron separately at the same time.
Bolivian Mining Minister Luis Alberto Echazu, who participated in the event, said he was surprised by the high lithium recovery rate and that he would discuss collaboration using the POSOC`s new technology.
POSCO joined the lithium carbonate technology development program, which is supported by Ministry of Knowledge Economy, in association with Korea Resources Corporation and Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources, in April 2010, and since November 2010, it has made efforts to develop the lithium extraction technology using chemolysis without evaporation, along with Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning. In last July, POSCO completed a pilot plant which can extract 5kg of lithium out of 1000L of salt water a day and succeeded in the extraction. The company also proved its technology competitiveness and secured related intellectual properties by applying for domestic and foreign patents for around 30 related technologies.
Lithium is a core material used in manufacturing batteries for electrical vehicles and most lithium is dissolved in salt water in high concentration. Salt water with high content of lithium exists only in some countries including Chile, Argentina, Bolivia and China. Korea, the world`s first lithium battery producer, uses 12,000 tons of lithium every year but depends entirely on import without any deposits of lithium.
POSCO plans to construct foreign lithium extraction plants in association with lithium producers which have salt water, based on the new lithium extraction technology.
Kim Jiyoon ikyijy@posco.com
(Source = Material Business Office)
