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China has solved the problem of separating lithium from halogen
solution, which contains large concentrations of magnesium, with
the approval of a new resource utilization project in Taijnar lake
in northwest China's Qinghai province Monday.
The project, sponsored by a subsidiary of the China International
Trust & Investment Corp (CITIC) and the provincial government
of Qinghai, won a national quality appraisal certificate in Beijing.
The project will largely enhance the country's capacity to produce
lithium products to replace imports, experts noted.
As a new material, lithium is widely used in the fields of national
defense, the electronic industry and the chemical industry. At present,
China is one of the world's largest lithium importers, importing
6,000-8,000 tons of lithium carbonate and 200, 000-500,000 tons
of potassium sulfate each year from Chile, Australia and other countries.
However, it was discovered that the Taijnar lake contains more
than 3.23 million tons of lithium reserves and 26.35 million tons
of potassium, ranking first in the country.
The hi-tech company, which focuses on developing lithium resources
and producing lithium products, has invested over 30 million yuan
into the project, and a group of experts and scientists spent two-years
tackling the technical problem.
At the current experimental stage, the Taijnar lake is capable
of producing 3,000 tons of potassium sulfate and 250 tons of lithium
carbonate each year.
(People's Daily 03/27)
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