Sustainable Extraction of Critical Raw Materials from Water

Lithium and rare earth elements are essential for batteries, fuel cells and many other future technologies. Researchers at MIBE are working on two collaborative projects to develop new, environmentally friendly methods of extracting these elements from water.

Demand for lithium, rare earths, and various (semi-)metals is steadily rising as these materials are central to the success of the energy and mobility transition. However, these materials still have to be imported for the most part. In the long term, we need to become more independent and develop domestic sources and sustainable processes for their extraction.

Both seawater and deep geothermal water, which are already being used for geothermal energy, contain lithium in dissolved form, forming large reservoirs that have not yet been utilized to any significant extent. Efficient and selective isolation of lithium and other critical raw materials from these sources could significantly contribute to raw material security. 

Magnetic Systems as Key Technology

As part of two collaborative projects, researchers at MIBE are developing efficient, environmentally friendly methods for extracting lithium. They rely on magnetic nanoparticles that can selectively bind lithium ions when combined with special ligands. After absorbing lithium, the particles can be separated from the water using magnetic fields and then regenerated and reused. This innovative magnetic separation process requires few chemical additives and can process large volumes of water efficiently.

In the projects LiThermie and LiMare, MIBE researchers are developing scalable systems for selectively extracting lithium from geothermal and seawater. Other partners involved in the projects include the Institute of Water Chemistry and the Chair of Analytical Chemistry and Water Chemistry at TUM, the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems, the Research Group on Geomicrobiology/Marine Biogeochemistry at GEOMAR Helmholtz Center for Ocean Research Kiel, and the two companies, Hydroisotop GmbH and Solexperts GmbH.

MIBE's research focuses on simulating the behavior of magnetic particles in magnetic and fluid fields, as well as developing and optimizing a reactor system for demonstration purposes. 

Contributing to a Sustainable Supply of Raw Materials

As part of these two collaborative projects, researchers at MIBE are developing new approaches to harness domestic water resources as alternative sources of lithium. Using magnetic particles functionalized with specific ligands and precisely controlled magnetic and fluid fields could enable the future extraction of critical raw materials in an energy-efficient and sustainable manner, using significantly fewer chemicals than conventional processes.

The combination of advanced simulation technology, AI-supported process control, and experimental validation will lead to technologies that can contribute to more sustainable extraction of raw materials in the long term and thus provide important impetus for a secure, environmentally friendly energy and mobility transition.