Preparation Process and Industry Trend of Lithium Hydroxide

       Mainstream preparation technology

Lithium extraction from ore:

Sulfuric acid method: spodumene is calcined and acidified to produce lithium sulfate, and then lithium hydroxide is produced through causticization reaction, with a lithium recovery rate of more than 85%.

Limestone sintering method: the process is mature but the energy consumption is high, and 42 tons of waste residue are produced per ton of product, which is gradually eliminated.

Salt lake lithium extraction:

Lithium ions are enriched by adsorption or membrane separation technology, and lithium hydroxide is generated after electrolysis, which is used in the salt lake of Atacama, Chile.

Recycling:

The extraction of lithium from waste batteries has a recovery rate of 95%, which has become the focus of "urban mine" development.

Current Market Situation

Capacity distribution: China's lithium hydroxide production capacity accounts for 78% of the world in 2024, and Sichuan, Jiangxi and Qinghai are the three major industrial clusters.

Demand-driven: The demand for high-nickel batteries drives the annual output growth rate of lithium hydroxide to exceed 30%, and the global market size is expected to reach 1293 million US dollars in 2031.