Direct extraction of lithium from ores by electrochemical leaching

With the rapid increase in lithium consumption for electric vehicle applications, its price soared during the past decade. To secure a reliable and cost-effective supply chain, it is critical to unlock alternative lithium extraction resources beyond conventional brine. In this study, we develop an electrochemical method to directly leach lithium from α-phase spodumene. We find the H₂O₂ promoter can significantly reduce the leaching potential by facilitating the electron transfer and changing the reaction path. Upon leaching, β-phase spodumene shows a typical phase transformation to HAISi₂O₆, while leached α-phase remains its original crystal phase with a lattice shrinkage. To demonstrate the scale-up potential of electrochemical leaching, we design a catalyst-modified high-throughput current collector for high loading of suspended spodumene, achieving a leaching current of 18 mA and a leaching efficiency of 92.2%. Electrochemical leaching will revolutionize traditional leaching and recycling processes by minimizing the environmental footprint and energy consumption.

Hanrui Zhang, Ying Han, Jianwei Lai, Joseph Wolf, Zhen Lei, Yang Yang, Feifei Shi