Intercalation Performance and Degradation of LiMn2O4 Supported on Vitreous Carbon Foam to Recover Lithium from Highly Concentrated Brines
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: The use of lithium intercalation electrodes (LIE) for recovering lithium from geothermal sources (containing ≤ 400 ppm of lithium) has the potential to revolutionize the lithium mining industry. This work proposes a conceptual scaled-up process for LIE, utilizing concentrated brine of 15 m3 h−1 (384.32 mM or 2,666 ppm of lithium) obtained from a reverse osmosis unit. Given the high lithium concentration in the concentrated brine, testing LIE performance under high lithium content conditions (1 M LiCl) is essential. In this study, LiMn2O4 supported on vitreous carbon foam is evaluated as the positive electrode. Degradation of the intercalation-active material, LiMn2O4, was observed in acidic media, with significant manganese dissolution. In contrast, at near neutral pH, dissolution rate is considered lower. Faradaic efficiency in acid media showed 98% efficiency only during the first potentiostatic deintercalation run. Subsequent runs exhibited non-faradaic behavior, which was also attributed to manganese dissolution. To develop strategies for mitigating LiMn2O4 degradation, equilibrium diagrams for the Li-Mn-H2O system (Poubaix Diagram) was constructed. In addition to propose a scaled-up process for lithium recovery from geothermal sources, this work investigates the performance of lithium intercalation under conditions relevant to large-scale operations.
Authors: Lorenzo A. D’Angelo, Victor Sumikawa, Antonio Esio Bresciani, Caetano Rodrigues Miranda, Claudio A. Oller do Nascimento, Andressa Mota-Lima
Language: English
Subfield: Mechanical Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $1,950
OpenAlex ID: W4414430514