Page 163 - CW E-Magazine (7-5-2024)

News from Abroad

LITHIUM PRODUCTION
Standard Lithium commissions first commercial-scale

DLE Column in North America

Standard Lithium Ltd., a leading
near-commercial lithium development
company, has announced that it has
successfully commissioned and vali-
dated the performance of the largest
continuously-operating Direct Lithium
Extraction (DLE) equipment in North
America. The company recently in-
stalled a commercial-scale DLE col-
umn at its Demonstration Plant near
El Dorado, Arkansas. The column is a
Li-Pro Lithium Selective Sorption (LSS)
unit, supplied by Koch Technology
Solutions, LLC (KTS).

The column was installed and in-
tegrated into the company’s existing rejection of impurities. During a represen- technology development. Almost all
Demonstration Plant, and is currently tative two-week period of performance in of the ‘raw’ lithium chloride has been
extracting lithium from Smackover For- April 2024, the process achieved an returned to the formation through
mation brine at an input flow rate of average lithium recovery (i.e., after loading LANXESS’ existing tail brine reinjection
90-gpm (gallons per minute). “This is, to and elution) of 97.3% from the 90-gpm infrastructure.
the best of the company’s knowledge, both incoming brine flow (the average incom-
the largest DLE installation, and the only ing brine contained 208-mg/L lithium “Validation of performance and
example of a commercial-scale DLE during the same period). successful operation of this column is
column in operation in North America,” a significant derisking step on our way
the company said in a statement. Since Since May 2020, the Demonstra- to becoming the next major sustainable
commissioning, the column has operated tion Plant has produced many millions lithium producer in North America,”
continuously and exceeded the design of gallons of ‘raw’ lithium chloride said Standard Lithium’s Director, Presi-
parameters for lithium recovery and eluate from several generations of DLE dent & COO, Dr. Andy Robinson.

OEM AGREEMENT
Circa to supply green solvent Cyrene to Merck

Sustainable biochemicals company demand of researchers and organisa- posal, Cyrene is said to be a safer and
Circa Group AS and Merck, a leading tions around the world looking for an more sustainable alternative to tradi-
science and technology company, have alternative to harmful solvents, to min- tional petroleum-based solvents, such
finalised an agreement for the supply imise the environmental health impact as dimethylformamide (DMF).
of Cyrene, Circa’s sustainable, bio- and simultaneously improve product
derived industrial solvent.“The formali- performance.” The DMF market is expected to
sation of this business partnership, which reach $545.4-mn by 2030, growing at
has developed over the past five-plus Cyrene is a bio-based solvent that an average CAGR of 4.8% between
years, is an important step forward for demonstrates circularity, sustainability 2024 and 2030. However, there is grow-
the global marketing and distribution of and safety at every stage of its lifecycle. ing demand for alternatives given gov-
Cyrene™,” said Circa CEO, Mr. Bertel From its fossil-free non-food feedstock ernment regulations and concerns about
Karlstedt. “Our goal is to meet the to its recyclability and end-of-life dis- human health and the environment.

Chemical Weekly May 7, 2024 163

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