Innovative packed‐bed ion‐distillation for direct lithium extraction

Abstract Ion‐distillation, as an innovative electro‐membrane approach, efficiently separates various ions, revolutionizing the lithium mining industry. However, the suboptimal performance of ion perm‐selective membranes and the low concentration of lithium necessitate additional separation stages, thereby increasing energy consumption in industrial applications. To address this, we propose a novel packed‐bed ion‐distillation system that integrates ion‐distillation with electro‐deionization by packing ion‐exchange resin within the ion‐distillation chambers. This strategy ensures precise lithium separation and reduces the electric resistance within the distillation chamber. Results show that when processing lake brine with a magnesium–lithium ratio of 1000, the permselectivity of Li + /Mg 2+ reaches an impressive 8,124,599, with product purity exceeding 99.9%. The internal resistance of the packed‐bed system is reduced by 41% compared to a resin‐free ion‐distillation system. This technology holds significant promise for the direct and efficient extraction of lithium from lake brines, enhancing the sustainability and economic viability of the lithium mining industry.