Albemarle touts new technology to extract lithium from brine, cites growing global market
US specialty chemicals producer Albemarle said on Friday that it has developed a proprietary technology for lithium extraction from brine.
This newly-developed technology will allow the company to recover lithium that is present in the brines at its Magnolia, Ark. bromine facility and utilize it to produce lithium carbonate.
The market for lithium chemicals is expected to grow rapidly, reaching $1.2 billion globally by 2015, primarily from increased demand for batteries in electrical vehicles.
Using this new technology and brine from its bromine production facility, Albemarle has successfully produced lithium carbonate in a lab setting and is currently operating a pilot plant to optimize the process.
Commercial production could begin as early as 2013.
"Albemarle has extensive experience in brine management and recovery of products from brine," said Dave Clary, Albemarle's chief sustainability officer. "Our lithium recovery technology is an extension of our technological know-how into a very attractive end market."
"Over 70% of the U.S. demand for lithium is currently met by imports," said Sharon McGee, vice president of the performance chemicals division. "There is certainly a need for more domestic production with the growing market demand, and Albemarle is encouraged that we will be able to meet that need."
Albemarle primarily makes plastic additives and catalysts.
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