Lithium: Processing

Expertise, pilots, and full-scale plants

Step 1: Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE)* by Others

*or other lithium brine producing process

Step 2: Concentrate, Refine, Convert (CRC) by Saltworks

Saltworks process HCl Wash water
Partner process Precipitation & Pre-treatment Processed Concentrating LiCl
LiCl
solution Optional: Chemical LiCl solution
Direct lithium extraction Reverse osmosis
Lithium brine precipitation of
(typically by others) XtremeRO 1800
scaling ions
Waste BrineRefine + IonSelect
Wash water Waste
wash
recovery water brine
Ion Optional: Evaporation
Ultrafiltration
Reverse osmosis exchange SaltMaker MVR Evaporator
XtremeUF
XtremeRO polish

Concentrated LiCl solution

LiOH Electrochemical Route LiOH Lime Route Li2CO3 Route

Electrochemical Chemical Conversion to Li2CO3

Conversion to LiOH Conversion to LiOH
Hardness polishing Chemical precipitation Hardness polishing
Na2CO3
BrineRefine

Electrolysis HCl Li2CO3 solids Chemical precipitation

Na2CO3
BrineRefine
LiOH Lime Chemical precipitation CaCO3
slurry BrineRefine solids
Thermal 2-step
crystallization Optional:
SaltMaker MVR Hardness polishing Technical
Crystallizer + Centrifuge grade Li2CO3
solids
Thermal 2-step
crystallization
SaltMaker MVR Upgrading
Crystallizer + Centrifuge

Battery-grade lithium hydroxide Battery-grade lithium hydroxide Battery-grade lithium carbonate

Lithium Extraction From Brines

Direct lithium extraction (DLE) systems are increasingly being deployed in extraction projects. Most produce a 1,000–2,000 mg/L lithium
chloride solution containing impurities. Saltworks integrates CRC systems downstream of DLE and other systems.

Concentrating, Refining, Converting (CRC)

Saltworks focuses on concentrating, refining, and converting lithium chloride solutions to battery- or technical-grade lithium carbonate
or lithium hydroxide solids. We offer robust, modular, well-automated, high-performing CRC unit operations & complete plants.

Process, Technologies, and Economics

Our experts help you achieve your project goals. We help clients from concept to full-scale plants. We provide flexible options from
engineering services, to pilots, to single unit operations or a complete lithium processing system.

+1 604-628-6508 projects@saltworkstech.com 13800 Steveston Hwy, Richmond, BC, Canada, V6W 1A8
© 2022 Saltworks Technologies, Inc.
Lithium Concentration and Processing Technologies
BrineRefine & XtremeUF: Refine & Convert
Ensure the highest lithium quality and yield by precisely targeting
impurities. We pair smart chemical conversion processes (BrineRefine)
with robust ceramic ultrafiltration (XtremeUF) to consistently produce
high purity outputs. BrineRefine is also used to produce battery- or
technical-grade lithium carbonate.

XtremeRO: Concentrate
Next-generation ultra-high-pressure reverse
osmosis (UHP-RO) concentrates LiCI up to 50%
higher than conventional RO.

Our 1800 psi RO systems reduce downstream

evaporator size and cost, or negate their need
entirely. UHP-RO increases water recovery and
enhances downstream economics.

SaltMaker MVR Evaporators & Crystallizers: Concentrate and/or

Crystallize
Economical, reliable evaporation maximizes yield in downstream
processes. Concentrate lithium chloride to optimal levels with a
SaltMaker evaporator — beyond what membrane systems can do. Go
one step further to produce lithium hydroxide crystals with a SaltMaker
crystallizer, delivered with built-in self-cleaning and solids management
systems to ensure reliability at optimal capacity.

SaltMaker MVR is our fully automated forced-circulation crystallizer

system. A modular SaltMaker MVR with a capacity of 50–200 m³ per day
concentrates and crystallizes 5,000–20,000 tonnes per year of lithium
carbonate equivalent (LCE) as lithium hydroxide.

With a compact footprint, low lead time, and low installation costs, more
units can be added for easy capacity expansion.

Saltworks and Your Lithium Project

Begin today and contact us. Client confidentiality, deep technical focus, and • Process flow optimization to put
responsiveness are critical at Saltworks. you on the best pathway
• Front-end engineering
evaluation to refine costs
• Lab and bench-scale analysis to
derisk & optimize
• Pilot projects at our site or
yours to prove performance
1 2 3 4 • Full-scale skidded unit
Process Flow Pilot Studies Full-Scale Operational operations to integrate with
Optimization Projects: Skids Support & others
or Complete Expansion
Plants • Full-scale complete lithium
systems from start to finish

+1 604-628-6508 projects@saltworkstech.com 13800 Steveston Hwy, Richmond, BC, Canada, V6W 1A8
© 2022 Saltworks Technologies, Inc.