Gradiant Launches alkaLi, Powered by EC2, the World's Most Efficient Battery Grade Lithium Production Process

The launch of Gradiant will accelerate the scaling of battery-grade lithium production to meet global demand for electric vehicles, energy storage and portable devices

Boston–(ANTARA/Business Wire)– Gradiant, a global provider of solutions for advanced water and wastewater treatment, announced the spin-off of alkaLi™, a standalone company dedicated to accelerating the scaling of battery-grade lithium production. alkaline powered by EC2, the world’s only complete solution designed to Extract, Concentrate and Convert battery grade lithium.

With electric vehicles, energy storage systems and portable electronic devices driving global lithium demand, EC2 offers manufacturers an unprecedented new way to rapidly scale up lithium production. EC2 displays instantaneous production measured in seconds, not years; cost reduction with 50% lower OPEX and zero CAPEX costs; industry-leading sustainability with significantly reduced carbon and water footprints; and accelerate licensing to meet global lithium demand. A complete system is balanced, integrated, and adapts to multiple input sources.

EC2 alkaLi is a highly modular three-stage system that can adapt to a wide range of input sources to date, including – brine, evaporation and recycling. The technology can be implemented fully or standalone, integrating with existing site infrastructure with the option to scale production with SmartOps AI. EC2 has been piloted and tested in the field, and successfully completed a commercial proof system with SLB in 2023. alkaLi will continue to offer the business model flexibility that Gradiant is renowned for: providing manufacturers with a zero CAPEX option where the company builds, owns and operates the solution.

“The clear goal that drives Gradiant is to ensure water availability for future generations. “This has given rise to interest in holistic environmental solutions beyond water, including the successful electrification of our communities to reduce the burden of fossil fuels,” said Prakash Govindan, COO of Gradiant. “Demand for lithium exceeds supply. We need to accelerate the scale of production solutions, and it is for this reason that we will launch alkaLi, a completely independent company with a specific focus on maximizing the efficiency of battery-grade lithium production.”

“Different gradients. We are more than just a water company; we are a technology company,” added Siva Kumar Kota, Head of Technology. “Our revolutionary RO Infinity with Counter-Flow Reverse Osmosis technology supports EC2. CFRO operates with much lower energy and water requirements, concentrating at near saturation limits without the environmental impact common with existing technologies.”

alkaLi’s EC2 solution sets a new industry standard for Extracting, Concentrating and Converting battery-grade lithium with optimized efficiency and sustainability at every stage:

Extraction: The synthesized resin and new membrane optimize lithium extraction far beyond industry norms, uniquely reaches Generation II levels and the richest lithium flow for maximum downstream efficiency. A second stream of Li-lean is discharged, and each flows to the CFRO unit in the Concentration Stage.

Concentration: Powered by Gradiant’s award-winning CFRO to maximize system efficiency, consuming far less energy than thermal processes.

• CFRO I receives a Li-rich stream and subsequently concentrates it to a level sufficient to be converted into battery-grade lithium

• CFRO II accepts Li-lean flows and reduces TDS to below regulatory limits, thereby enabling expedited licensing

Conversion: Concentrated lithium is precipitated into a solid to produce battery-grade lithium carbonate (Li2CO3) or lithium hydroxide (LiOH).

alkaLi is now recruiting new customer partners.

About Gradian

Gradiant is a Different Type of Water Company. With a complete range of differentiated and proprietary end-to-end solutions for advanced water and wastewater treatment supported by water experts, the company serves its clients’ critical operations in the world’s critical industries, including semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, food. & beverages, lithium and essential minerals, and renewable energy. Gradiant’s innovative solutions reduce water use and wastewater discharge, reclaim valuable resources, and convert wastewater into freshwater. The Boston-headquartered company was founded at MIT and has more than 1,000 employees worldwide. Learn more at gradiant.com.

About alkali

alkaLi is dedicated to accelerating the scaling of battery-grade lithium production and is powered by EC2, the world’s only complete solution designed to Extract, Concentrate and Convert battery-grade lithium. alkaLi offers lithium producers an unprecedented new way to rapidly scale lithium production with significant benefits in throughput capacity, speed, cost, and sustainability—with a solution that adapts to a wide range of input sources in the industry, including brine, evaporation, and recycle. The Boston-headquartered company is an independent company, spun off from Gradiant. Learn more at alkaLi3.com.

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Source: Gradient

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