Selective lithium separation from desalination concentrates via the synergy of extractant mixtures

Seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) desalination plants generate high volumes of concentrates, which contain, in addition to major salts, some elements growing interest minor concentrations. This is the case lithium, highly demanded battery industry. In this work, separation Li+ from model SWRO brines has been evaluated by obtaining extraction curves with combination extractants DBM•TOPO and FDOD•TOPO, proving that both mixtures are capable extracting under basic pH conditions, due keto-enolic tautomerism β-diketones. values 95.4 % for (pH = 12.2) 100 FDOD•TOPO 9.0) were achieved. behaviour was verified FT-IR analysis sample before after extraction. Finally, selective against other cations, such as Na+, K+, Mg2+, Ca2+ Sr2+, present at higher concentrations, determined. Under mentioned experimental these cations not extracted, reaching close %. study shows first results on lithium complex brines, fostered through promising showing a synergic effect towards multicomponent matrices.