This shocking discovery that took place in China and researchers continue to figure out how to make the most of it and in a sustainable way.
The key player in this discovery is the lithiuma very valuable and important material for making batteries for electric vehicles, mobile phones, ceramics, metallurgy and pharmaceuticals, among others. People have been looking for a way to get more out of it for decades economical and sustainable.
This is how scientists from China achieved the unimaginable: extracting energy from the sea. The benefits are numerous; They range from low cost to the sustainable way to use this as renewable energy. Moreover, their massiveness is striking: 230 billion tons of lithium could be extracted from the ocean.
They have found a real treasure in China: there are about 230,000 million tons of lithium
White gold is a highly sought-after material that is difficult to do without, but at the same time obtaining it is not entirely easy or cheap. However, in China they have found a way to get more sustainable lithium, this is because there is a enormous amount of this soft metal waiting to be used.
After much work, researchers from the Nanjing University and the University of California at Berkeleyled by Zhu Jia and Mi Baoxiathey got the desired results, which were published in the Scientific magazine.
This is how they managed to… STLES device (Lithium extraction and storage powered by solar transpiration). This uses energy from sunlight and its main function is to separate lithium from other components in the sea, such as magnesium or sodiumto the white mineral so popular and requested.
From the sea: the innovative way to extract lithium in a more sustainable way
This device uses only solar energy, making it a renewable energy. How does the STLES device work? In short, there is a solar evaporator that is a capillary pressure within the STLES. The device has a nanofiltration membranefor which the lithium-ion they pass, thanks to the pressure applied. The ions then pass through the membrane, which acts as a filter, and reach a storage layer.
The best part is that, according to experts, this device can extract maximum amounts 33.2 milligrams of lithium per square meter, per day. Furthermore, they explained that extraction costs would be radically lower because only solar energy is used.
They especially emphasize that this form of extraction is extensive more environmentally friendly because it is a renewable energy, thanks to the fact that it only uses the solar energy and also reduces carbon gas emissions. In addition, they ensure that the device is compatible with brine, so it can float in existing brine ponds, which would promote its integration into all facilities.
Although it was always complicated win white gold of the oceans due to the other minerals found floating device Tremendous changes can be generated in the use of these materials.
The lead researcher on this project, Zhu Jia, explained: “our solar transpiration-powered lithium extraction technology is a step towards truly green and sustainable lithium extraction.”
Most impressively, they explained that, thanks to the fact that there is so much surface area of oceans and seas on the planet, there is a total of 230,000 million tons of this This precious material is approximately 16 times more than what can be extracted today with conventional systems. So this project could be a huge investment to save both energy and money in the future.