Technology

E3 Lithium’s Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) Technology

Direct Lithium Extraction generally refers to an approach on how to selectively extract lithium from saline brines using an extraction technology. A key differentiator is the extraction method operates as the primary means of removing lithium from the brines. For the most part, DLE removes the lithium-ions from brine using a medium and produces a concentrated solution. In some cases, the further refinement of the lithium concentrate can also be referred to as part of the DLE process. E3 Lithium has been developing its own DLE since 2016 and has developed a very broad understanding of the processes and the applications through the years of detailed experimentation and success. In this light, when E3 Lithium discusses DLE, it refers to the primary extraction method only, the processes that selectively removes lithium from the brines and creates a lithium concentrate. Any further processing is typically referred to as polishing.

While E3 Lithium has both tested a variety of DLE processes and reviewed a significant number of less developed technologies, the preferred methods for the extraction of lithium from E3 Lithium Leduc brines is ion-exchange and absorption. Both of these systems use a solid chemical medium, referred to in the industry interchangeably as sorbent, resin, beads, etc. In simple terms, the brine and the sorbent are mixed together for a specific amount of time that enables the majority of the lithium to be attracted to the sorbent. The water is drained out and a “desorbent” fluid is then used to strip the lithium from the sorbent and create the lithium concentrate. In commercial terms, this is referred to as solid-liquid separation and is used in a wide variety of applications from water treatment to gold leaching. The type of solid-liquid separation system selected is typical chosen based on the grain size of the sorbent.

In 2023, E3 Lithium launched its Field Pilot Plant to evaluate DLE technologies on a continuous scale, demonstrating how different methods effectively extract lithium from brines. We tested both E3 Lithium’s DLE technologies and those from third-party vendors, all demonstrated technical success in recovering lithium and maintaining high-quality lithium concentrate. In choosing the technology for the first commercial facility, E3 Lithium focused on factors like performance, readiness for commercial use and ease of operation. The decision ultimately came down to the overall efficiency and cost. The company ultimately decided on a third-party technology that was highly prepared for commercialization. The goal is to get to commercial operations and revenue generation as quickly as possible.

E3 Lithium's proprietary DLE ion-exchange technology, developed through years of collaboration with academic and private partners, remains highly selective for lithium ions, making it efficient at extracting and concentrating lithium from brines while eliminating unwanted impurities. E3 Lithium has worked closely with the University of Alberta, private labs and our development facility in Calgary, to develop a lithium-selective sorbent ideal for extracting lithium from our brines. The technology development will continue at a slower pace while E3 Lithium focusses on the engineering for the first lithium process facility but will look to deploy the E3 Lithium technology in future facilities.