Post by
Wangotango67 on Jun 02, 2020 6:50pm
DESALINATION - MEMBRANES - DISTILLATION - REVERSE OSMOSIS
Just a few of, the ways to remove salts ftom - salt water.
If a water/company - chooses to desalinate, it costs upward of $1/cibic meter.
FULL STOP.
Water companies only recieve $.60/cents a cubic meter for desslimated water
and if it, costs $1/per cubic meter - then, there's no profit.
Yet...when applied to a lithiim brine operation, takes it to a - whole new level.
100 ppm per liter x 1000/l per cubic meter x 10 cibic meters of lithium - brine
= 1kg of lithium wihch amounts to $9/kg
For every, 10 cubic meters of brine using desalination it would cost
= $10 cost, to desalinate
- $9 profit per, kg of lithium
------------------------------------------------
= -$1 negative loss
Most of the costs are, lost due to heat costs.
BUT - What if the miner found - resourcful, ways imwhich tovreduce power and heatimg costs ?
Solar towers with the use of CHLOIDE instead of, boron or phospherous.
Chloride has 18 electrons, vs boron or phospgerous, 3x + 6x ( less )
= Chloride filled cellls - would increase the ability of cells to absorb 6 x more - solar enrgy.
=: More energy = Less costs associated to heating brines for desalination, distillation.
If a miner could employ desalimation and place the majority of costs associated
to solar energy.....what if the costs were reduced by 10x
=:$.10/cents per cubic meter
x 10 cubic meters
= $1/per 10 cubic tonnes of desalinated brine
KEEPING IT SIMPLE ( all about - comversions )
Albermarle, uses the sun for evaporation in ponds
PE could take that same - sun source + funnel it through solar panels
Creating Power, imwhich to desalinate with SPEED.
Once salts are all separated from the brine - perform deionization - send back downhole
Cake Salts, move on for processing, in vats with acids...
Far, less acid consumption than clays....
All because, a rich desalinated salt concentrate can be made
If...10 cubic tonnes make 1kg ( only lithium - yes... there would - be other, salts )
Then, 10,000 cubic brine tonnes = 1 - cubic tonne of lithium concentrate
Therefore....less acid consumption per cubic tonne of salts...
To perform a correct calculation,
One would have to add each salt value from, K, Ca, Mg, Li, etc....
It would obviously increase the salt - ppm overall
Thus, reduce the # of cubic tonnes of concentrate
But still...far less - acid '- consumption
Place concentrate, in, acid then off to...polish washig electrolysis...
Question Becomes...
Could PE utilize the sun as Albermarle does, but redirect the sun's energy to another form
Instead of slow evaporationtion, turn it into energy, to create heat for speed of processing ?
Could chloride filled solar cells amplify and produce for energy = far, less solar, panels needed ?
Could this partial green mining model using chloride and solar energy be the solution ?
Again...look how simple Albermarles process is....using evaporation.
This solar mine-model...simply takes what albermarle is using , and updates the solar process
Keeping it, simple is key...not to mention more profitable.
Creating an energy heat source for the desalination - plant is where focus shoulld be, placed.
Solve this cost hurdle....the remaining extraction flowsheet is, standard practices.
Once salts are in a, concentrate = acid = electrolysis
Anorher idea....that should be, considered...
Memvbanes....Most, shudder the thought of clogged screens - constantly replacing or cleaning
Yet...how much chloride do the brines have ....uh huh....lots...
Which aides in the cleaning of the membranes...less changing, or swapping out.
Here's an article which discusses...
different ways of taking salts from brines or, water...
Good Read....
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/taking-the-salt-out-of-seawater/
I wonder if, Schlumberger + PE read the post on, district - scale ?
Wonder if, they're minds are in a whirl.., contemplating the idea ?
First - Movers...make it, happen.
But will they...?
Perfect, time to crack deals - considering..., the markets, and covid.
It, would make a real splash....in the news, if they did.
Here's hoping they, pick up the pace... keep inline with other nevada peers.
Wango~