2023-11-16 10:00:00
Lithium filters, capable of extracting the precious metal from very low concentrated brines, of the order of 0.1 to 0.2%. The innovation of Geolith, the startup whose 25 employees are shared between the head office in Orsay (Essonne) and Schiltigheim (Bas-Rhin) for pre-production, is of great interest to lithium producers. Because today, this precious metal is mainly produced in open-air mines, with particularly polluting processes carried out on the other side of the planet, particularly in Chile. With its innovation, Geolith wants to make lithium naturally present in many waters usable, such as the geothermal waters of Alsace. And allow lithium producers to green their activity.
The development of its filtering process required four years of research and development, carried out between 2016 and 2020 in partnership with Mines ParisTech. “We have developed an ionic sieve, which selectively captures lithium by ion exchange”, explains Jean-Philippe Gibaud, the president and founder of Geolith. The mineral powder used for this technology is manufactured by the Tronox chemical factory in Thann (Haut-Rhin). The powder is mixed with fibers to form filters. “We were inspired by equipment from the textile industryspecifies Fadil Aimetti, director of operations. We worked with the Mulhouse, Lyon and Tourcoing teams of the French Institute of Clothing and Textiles (IFTH). We set up a pilot line in Tourcoing in order to refine the choice of the most efficient textile machines for a key stage in the manufacturing of our material.”
Reduced environmental impacts
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