Lithium extraction from salt lakes with different hydrochemical types in the Tibet Plateau

The demand for lithium resources is increasing sharply with the rapid development of electric vehicles. It is of great economic significance to expand the geological resources of lithium and improve the utilization rate of lithium-containing salt lakes. In this paper, the hydrochemical types of the lithium-containing salt lakes in the Tibet Plateau were classified according to a large amount of hydrochemical data obtained from a recent investigation on the Tibet Plateau. In addition, the lithium extraction methods used in the salt lakes within each hydrochemical type area were analyzed and summarized, which provided a reference for the selection of lithium extraction processes in the same hydrochemical type of lithium-containing salt lakes in the future. The binding energies of Li(Ι) and anions in salt lakes with different hydrochemical types were calculated by density functional theory, which provides the theoretical basis for selecting the best lithium extraction technology in different salt lakes. We emphasize that the process with the combined characteristics of high efficiency, economy and environmental protection should be selected according to the hydrochemical type of different salt lakes. In the future, different salt lakes should focus on direct lithium extraction technology from the original brine.