Ionic selectivity is of significant importance in both fundamental science and practical applications. For instance, an ion-selective material allows the passage of a particular kind of ions while blocking the others, which could be used for purification of materials. Herein, the Li-ion-selectivity of a garnet-type solid electrolyte is discussed by comparing the difference of activation energy between different ions migrating in solids. The high ion-selectivity is confirmed by harvesting high-purity metallic lithium (99.98 wt%) from low-lithium-purity sources (80 wt%) at a moderate temperature (190 ℃). This gives it huge potential in separating lithium with impurities especially alkali and alkali-earth elements. The cost of metallic lithium production is only 25% of the international lithium price. The proposed electrochemical metallic lithium separating method is advantageous compared with the traditional process in terms of efficiency, safety, and cost.
Publications
Article type
Year
Research Article
Issue
Energy & Environmental Materials 2023, 6(6)
Published: 03 May 2022
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