SLB (NYSE: SLB), an American oilfield services company, has announced a breakthrough in sustainable lithium production at its demonstration plant in Clayton Valley, NV. The company's proprietary technology, which uses direct lithium extraction (DLE), concentration and conversion, accelerates lithium production while minimizing environmental impact.
SLB's solution is 500 times faster than any conventional method, with a significantly smaller footprint in terms of land and water usage. It produces lithium with a recovery rate of 96%.
SLB's DLE Technology Offers Unprecedented Efficiency
The company's innovative approach delivers a complete, end-to-end process that extracts lithium from brine, treats impurities and produces high-purity lithium carbonate or hydroxide. The process uses just 10% of the land required by traditional evaporation methods and returns spent brine to its source, reducing ecological impact. This efficiency translates into faster production, reducing the time from extraction to conversion to mere hours compared to up to 18 months using traditional methods.
Environmental Advantage of SLB's Lithium Extraction Process
Conventional lithium extraction through evaporation leads to significant water loss and environmental disruption, leaving behind salts and minerals. On the contrary, SLB's sustainable solution significantly reduces water usage and minimizes environmental damage. The ...
