Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE)

Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) Technology Overview

Lithium powers today’s rechargeable batteries for electric vehicles, grid storage and consumer electronics. Traditional methods—pond evaporation of brines or hard‐rock mining—can take up to 18 months, consume large volumes of fresh water and pose environmental risks. Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) offers a faster, more efficient route by pulling lithium ions straight from brine or geothermal fluids and converting them to battery‐grade lithium carbonate or hydroxide. This technology is rapidly advancing as the industry seeks to meet accelerating demand while reducing environmental impact and improving operational efficiency.

Key Characteristics of the Technology

DLE technology fundamentally transforms the lithium extraction process by introducing speed, efficiency, and environmental benefits that conventional methods cannot match. The approach represents a significant departure from traditional evaporation ponds and hard-rock mining operations:

• Rapid Turnaround: DLE systems complete extraction cycles in hours or days instead of the months required by conventional pond evaporation. This accelerated timeline enables producers to respond more quickly to market demand and reduces the working capital tied up in production.
• High Recovery Rates: Modern DLE technologies recover 80–95% of lithium from source brines, a dramatic improvement over the 30–50% recovery rates typical of traditional pond systems. This higher efficiency maximizes the value extracted from each brine resource.
• Reduced Water Use: DLE operations require up to 90% less freshwater compared to conventional methods, with a minimal pond footprint. This water efficiency is particularly valuable in arid regions where lithium brines are often found but freshwater is scarce.
• Compact Footprint: Modular plant designs fit on smaller sites, significantly reducing land disturbance and environmental impact. This compact configuration also allows for easier integration into existing industrial operations or remote locations.
• Consistent Purity: DLE systems produce direct output tailored for battery‐grade specifications, reducing or eliminating the need for extensive downstream purification processes.
• Lower Emissions: By eliminating large evaporation ponds and reducing transportation requirements, DLE technology delivers a smaller CO₂ footprint throughout the production lifecycle.

Technology Classifications / Types

DLE technologies can be categorized based on the fundamental mechanism used to selectively capture and concentrate lithium from complex brine solutions. Each approach offers distinct advantages depending on brine composition, scale requirements, and operational constraints:

• Adsorption / Ion‐Sieve Materials: This approach employs solid sorbents, typically based on manganese oxide or titanium-based sieves, that selectively bind Li⁺ ions from the brine. After the sorbent is saturated with lithium, regeneration steps release a concentrated lithium solution that can be further processed into battery-grade compounds.
• Ion‐Exchange Resins: Functionalized polymer resins are used to swap lithium for sodium or other cations present in the brine. The lithium-loaded resins are then treated with acid or salt washes to recover a lithium-rich eluate for downstream processing.
• Solvent Extraction: This method uses organic extractants that form selective complexes with Li⁺ ions, separating them from other salts in the brine. A subsequent stripping process releases the lithium into an aqueous phase. The chemistry can be tuned to accommodate different brine compositions and contaminant profiles.
• Membrane Separation (Nanofiltration, Electrodialysis): Charge-selective membranes move Li⁺ ions across a barrier under applied voltage or pressure, separating lithium from other dissolved salts. Modular membrane units allow for straightforward scaling to match production requirements.
• Electrochemical Methods / Electrodeposition: Redox-active electrodes capture and release lithium under applied electrical current. Emerging designs include electrodialysis reversal systems that enable continuous operation without the need for batch processing or chemical regeneration.

Development and Commercialization Challenges

Despite the clear advantages of DLE technology, producers face significant technical and economic obstacles as they move from laboratory demonstrations to commercial-scale operations. Addressing these challenges is essential for widespread adoption:

• Brine Variability: Different lithium resources present widely varying salt content, mineral composition, and contaminant profiles. Each brine source may require specific process adaptations, making it difficult to deploy a single standardized technology across multiple sites.
• Fouling and Scaling: High total dissolved solids (TDS) in brines can cause precipitation of minerals that coat membranes, sorbents, and equipment surfaces. This fouling reduces efficiency and requires regular cleaning or replacement of process materials, increasing operational costs.
• Energy Demands: Electrochemical separation methods and thermal regeneration steps add significant power requirements to DLE operations. In regions without access to low-cost renewable energy, these energy demands can impact both economics and environmental performance.
• Material Costs: Custom sorbents, specialized membranes, and engineered reactors represent substantial upfront capital investment. The durability and regeneration capacity of these materials directly affect the long-term economics of DLE operations.
• Scale‐Up Risk: Moving from laboratory or pilot-scale demonstrations to multi-kiloton commercial operations introduces technical uncertainties. Process performance, material longevity, and operating costs can all shift significantly at industrial scale.
• Permitting and Water Rights: Local environmental regulations, water usage rights, and community concerns can create regulatory hurdles that slow project development. Securing social license to operate is particularly important when projects are located near sensitive ecosystems or indigenous lands.

Recent Developments and Examples

The DLE sector is experiencing rapid advancement, with multiple companies moving from pilot testing to commercial-scale deployment. Recent projects demonstrate both the technology’s potential and the diverse approaches being pursued:

• Standard Lithium × Equinor (Smackover Project, Arkansas): Successfully completed a three-month pilot operation using adsorption cartridges and produced battery-grade lithium samples. The project, supported by Koch Technology Solutions, demonstrated the viability of extracting lithium from the Smackover brine formation in the southern United States.
• EnergySource Minerals (Salton Sea, California): Awarded $1.4 billion in U.S. Department of Energy funding to build a 20,000 tonnes per year lithium hydroxide plant by 2027. This major project is being developed in partnership with SLB (formerly Schlumberger), Rio Tinto (Livent), and Ford, representing significant validation from both the energy sector and automotive industry.
• Volt Lithium (North Dakota): Secured a $2 million state grant for its IES-300 pilot facility that extracts lithium from oilfield brines using solvent-free methods. This project demonstrates the potential to develop lithium resources from unconventional sources that are co-produced with oil and gas operations.
• Summit Nanotech: Raised $25.5 million in funding to scale its denaLi™ adsorption technology, which targets 97% lithium recovery rates and a 70% reduction in water use compared to conventional evaporation methods. The company is advancing toward commercial deployment with multiple resource partners.
• Rice University: Published a 2025 research study demonstrating solid‐state electrolyte membranes that achieve nearly 100% lithium selectivity in complex brines. This breakthrough points toward next-generation membrane-only DLE systems that could further simplify the extraction process and reduce chemical consumption.