• Fastest route to direct battery-grade end-product, no secondary processing needed
  • Exceptionally high (99%) lithium recovery and selectivity for lithium over other brine constituents including magnesium, calcium, sodium, potassium, and boron
  • Minimal carbon footprint, water and reagent recycling, minimal waste, no emissions
  • Eliminates years of in-process lithium inventory (working capital) compared to evaporation ponds
  • Green lithium produced with very low energy consumption: 10 kWh/kg lithium hydroxide monohydrate from extraction to final product

IBC’s Direct Lithium to Product™(DLP™) Process:

Delivers Positive ESG Impact with use of Renewable Energy Sources
With electricity input supplied by renewable energy sources such as wind and solar, the direct production of battery-grade lithium hydroxide monohydrate or lithium carbonate can be accomplished in a sustainable, circular economy manner.

Is Proven for a Wide Range of Asset Types and Demonstrated at Large Pilot Scale

IBC’s Direct Lithium to Product™ (DLP™) process uses a SuperLig® MRT™ process to selectively extract lithium from brines or other lithium containing solutions derived from ores, such as spodumene, or battery recycling and directly produce battery-grade lithium hydroxide monohydrate (LiOH.H2O) without the need to first produce lithium carbonate (Li2CO3). Battery-grade lithium carbonate can also be directly produced, if desired. Pilot demonstration is occurring in 2022 at the Salar de Maricunga in Chile by SIMCO, SpA a JV between Chilean Errázuriz Group (55%) and Taiwanese Simbalik Group (45%), in cooperation with the Japanese company Chori.

Is Based on Green Chemistry and Green Engineering Principles

The result is positive Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) impact, minimal carbon footprint, operation at ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure, minimal waste, no emissions and water and reagent recycling. The DLP™ process provides:

  • Direct lithium hydroxide monohydrate production without the need to convert from lithium carbonate
  • Exceptionally high (99%) Li recovery and selectivity for lithium over other brine constituents including magnesium, calcium, sodium, potassium, and boron
  • No organic solvents used
  • Automated column design incorporates green engineering - simple, compact, easy to use
  • No pre-removal steps
  • Rapid lithium processing, very short lithium inventory times, low working capital requirements
  • No water extraction or evaporation from salar
  • Reinjection of lithium-depleted brine directly into salar
  • Low CAPEX and OPEX

Is Disrupting the Processing of Lithium due to its Tremendous Advantages over Processes based on Solar Evaporation Ponds as well as those based on Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE). These other Processes have:

  • Low lithium recovery and low selectivity for lithium over magnesium, calcium, sodium, potassium, and boron
  • Production of impure, dilute lithium-bearing solutions that must be further concentrated, purified, made into lithium carbonate (Li2CO3), and then converted to lithium hydroxide monohydrate (LiOH.H2O)
  • High consumption of water, acid and other reagents
  • Complex and time-consuming concentration, purification, and conversion procedures that greatly reduce lithium recovery, substantially increase costs and create unsustainable amounts of wastes