| Phase: |
Theme |
| Theme: | Grids and Storage (T06) |
| Status: | Active |
| Start Date: | 2024-04-01 |
| End Date: | 2026-06-30 |
| Principal Investigator |
| Xia, Liuyin Lucy |
Project Overview
In recent years, lithium compounds have emerged as pivotal catalysts driving advancements across diverse fields, including electric vehicles, renewable energy storage and electronics, shaping the trajectory of modern life. Among these compounds, lithium hydroxide stands out as an exceptionally valuable component, commanding a higher market value and demonstrating superior suitability for use in batteries. The production process of lithium hydroxide (LiOH) involves crystallization, the final step in obtaining the desired product, lithium hydroxide monohydrate (LiOH⋅H2O). The traditional crystallization process demands significant energy for water evaporation. Additionally, precipitates formed by evaporative crystallization tend to have impurities, requiring substantial water usage to remove undesirable ions prior to crystallization.
This project aims to introduce a more efficient and environmentally friendly approach: solvent-driven extractive crystallization for the production of lithium hydroxide monohydrate. This alternative pathway holds the potential to revolutionize lithium hydroxide production by reducing energy costs, minimizing water consumption and contributing to an overall decrease in the carbon footprint of processing. Over a 3-year research program, three research activities will be completed. 1) Investigation of phase equilibria in the ternary system; 2) Process optimization and studies on the impact of impurities; and 3) exploration of solvent recovery. Through these efforts, we anticipate contributing to a more sustainable and efficient future in lithium hydroxide production.
Outputs
| Title |
Category |
Date |
Authors |
| 1st Place of the Lucky Amaratunga Technical Report Competition | Award | 2025-05-01 | Iris He |
| Alberta Graduate Excellence Scholarship | Award | 2026-01-01 | Kirk Xu |
| SAG Conference Award | Award | 2026-02-01 | Chentao He |
| Kinetics of antisolvent crystallization of lithium hydroxideProduction of LiOH.H2O by antisolvent crystallization using ethanol were studied. Tests were performed under different temperature, time, and volume ratio of aqueous solutions. Kinetics of the antisolvent crystallization was investigated using Avrami model. The activation energy was calculated from the fitted data. It was found that this process is influenced by diffusion, but primarily controlled by thermodynamics.
University of Alberta | Publication | 2025-04-27 | Chentao He, Xia, L. |
| Solubility Measurements and Thermodynamic Modeling Using the Pitzer–Lorimer Method | Activity | 2025-10-07 | Kirk Xu |
| Advances in Lithium Recovery from Dilute and Complex Waters: A Comprehensive ReviewCanada, particularly Western Canada, holds significant potential for future lithium production, with brine resources enriched in lithium associated with oil and gas reservoirs. These deep-formation waters, unlike conventional lithium-rich sources such as salt lake brines, contain only 10 to 150 ppm of lithium, and are therefore classified as unconventional, dilute lithium-bearing resources. In recent years, several review articles have summarized lithium extraction technologies, often primarily focusing on high-salinity brines and the separation of lithium from magnesium. This review provides a comprehensive overview of current technologies and recent developments specifically focused on extracting lithium from such diluted brines. University of Alberta | Publication | 2025-08-12 | Meijun Chen, Trivedi, J., Xia, L. |
| Antisolvent crystallization of lithium hydroxide monohydrate: Significant factors and kinetics analysisCrystallization is the final stage in lithium hydroxide monohydrate (LiOH · H2O) production, and antisolvent crystallization offers a lower-energy route compared with evaporative methods. In this study, we investigated bench-scale ethanol-based antisolvent crystallization of LiOH · H2O, and identified the significant impact parameter via a four-factor, three-level Box–Behnken design (29 runs). Effects of agitation rate (100–250 rpm), ethanol concentration (80–100 vol.%), organic-to-aqueous volumetric ratio (O/A ratio) (0.4–0.8), and temperature (20–40°C) on yield were reported. Statistical analysis showed that these factors acted independently rather than through combined interactions. The O/A ratio was the most dominant one: yield increased from ~10% at O/A of 0.4 to ~30% at O/A of 0.8. Ethanol concentration also had a strong effect with yield increasing from 5% at 80 vol.% to 26% at 100 vol.%. X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed LiOH · H2O in all products, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that, unlike the compact blocky crystals formed by evaporative crystallization, ethanol antisolvent crystallization produced elongated plate-like crystals featuring side projections. Crystallization kinetics were studied in a non-seeded LiOH-EtOH-H2O system between 10 and 40°C. The %yield versus time at different temperatures were fitted well to the Avrami equation (R2 = 0.96–0.99) with very low exponents (n = 0.14–0.5). This indicates that the ethanol antisolvent crystallization can be characterized by rapid nucleation followed by diffusion-limited growth. Early-time kinetics analysis using parabolic diffusion law produced a transport rate constant kp that decreased as temperature increasing. It indicates that ethanol antisolvent crystallization of LiOH · H2O is governed primarily by thermodynamics through supersaturation, rather than by simple diffusion. University of Alberta | Publication | 2025-10-01 | Chentao He, Xia, L. |
| Applications of Solvent-driven Crystallization in Hydrometallurgy: Current Status and Future PerspectivesThe principles of salting-out and solventing-out have been established for more than 50 years. Due to advantages, such as reduced energy consumption, enhanced selectivity, and better control over crystal morphology, solvent-driven crystallization (also known as antisolvent or fractional crystallization) has been widely used in the pharmaceutical and fine chemical industries. However, its application in hydrometallurgical processing remains in its early stages. In recent years, researchers have begun exploring its potential for broader hydrometallurgical applications. This review explores the fundamental principles of solvent-driven crystallization and summarizes its current applications in industrial salts, rare earth element (REE) recovery, and lithium compound production. Studies on the effectiveness of various antisolvents and operational conditions, such as addition methods, solvent-to-aqueous phase ratios, and control strategies, are comprehensively reviewed. Key challenges are also discussed, including crystal size constraints, scalability limitations, and antisolvent inclusion. Finally, future research directions are proposed to optimize solvent selection, process control, and industrial scalability. This review provides a comprehensive reference for researchers and industry professionals seeking energy-efficient alternatives to conventional crystallization techniques in critical mineral recovery. University of Alberta | Publication | 2026-04-02 | Kirk Xu, Chentao He, Xia, L. |
| Solid–liquid equilibria in the LiOH–ethanol–water system: Solubility measurements and thermodynamic modeling University of Alberta | Publication | 2026-04-27 | Kirk Xu, Chentao He, Xia, L. |
