From brine to mineral: Extracting minerals and clean water from brines using a thermal cycle and machine learning-based design

Lithium extraction is a vital piece in the shift toward global electrification. Yet traditional methods are slow, resource-heavy, and yield low results. Our innovative approach uses an advanced evaporation process to concentrate lithium ions from high-salinity brines efficiently, reducing lithium loss and preventing fouling. We've made significant enhancements to industrial brine concentration methods, incorporating cutting-edge technology in multiphase flow and transport phenomena.

A key element is our machine learning-based system design and control. It uses an artificial intelligence “digital twin” in the humidification-dehumidification (HDH) cycle, which captures data patterns and understands the system's sensitivity to various parameters. This model optimizes throughput with minimal trial and error, making design parameter changes and maximizing performance cost-effectively.