The U.S. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is developing a technology to extract lithium, magnesium and other critical minerals directly from seawater. Just 0.1% of the world’s ocean contains enough of these resources that, if fully extracted, they would last humanity for more than 50,000 years. In addition to lithium and magnesium, the list also includes manganese, cobalt and rare earth elements — key raw materials for batteries, electronics and green energy.
The main challenge is the extremely low concentration of these minerals. To address it, the scientists created a flow reactor that can produce high-purity magnesium hydroxide with fewer processing steps. In the future, such systems could be integrated with existing desalination plants.
The researchers also found uses for the process byproducts. The acid produced was 37% more effective than conventional hydrochloric acid in extracting nickel, and the treated seawater can accelerate the growth of algae that are able to accumulate valuable minerals.
The specialists believe that, in the future, this technology could help provide a more sustainable supply of strategic raw materials and reduce dependence on traditional mineral mining.
