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Harnessing dimethyl ether with ultra-low-grade heat for scaling-resistant brine concentration and fractional crystallization

Journal Article · · Chemical Engineering Journal
Solvent-driven separations may enable scalable concentration of hypersaline brines, supporting a circular resource economy from the extraction of lithium and rare earth elements from spent battery and magnet leachates. This work analyses a novel solvent-driven water extraction (SDWE) system employing dimethyl ether (DME) and ultra-low-grade heat for brine concentration and fractional crystallization. SDWE exploits DME’s unique properties: (1) a low dielectric constant that promotes water solubility over charged solutes by a factor of 103, and (2) a high volatility that facilitate efficient DME reconcentration with ultra-low-grade heat. The techno-economic viability of SDWE is assessed with a computational framework that encompasses a liquid–liquid separator and a solvent concentrator. We integrate the extended universal quasichemical model with the virial equation of state to predict the compositions of the complex three-phase DME-water mixture at vapor–liquid and liquid–liquid equilibrium. Subsequently, we optimize the thermodynamic and economic performance of SDWE, by controlling the interstage flash pressure, heat source temperature, and the number of concentrating stages. DME-based SDWE concentrates an input saline feed to 5.5 M and regenerates over 99 % of the DME using ultra-low-grade heat below 50 °C, with a DME/water selectivity ratio of 125. Here our calculations reveal that optimal performance is achieved at interstage flash pressures of 0.4 – 0.5 bar for heat source temperatures between 323–373 K, with improved exergetic efficiencies at lower temperatures. At a heat source temperature of 323 K and an interstage pressure of 0.489 bar, DME-driven SDWE achieves an optimal thermodynamic efficiency of 20.5 % and a projected specific cost of US$ 1.93 m-3. These specific costs suggest that SDWE is competitive with commercialized thermal distillation technologies, while mitigating the traditional risks associated with scaling in heat and mass exchangers with hypersaline brines.
Research Organization:
Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Energy Efficiency Office. Advanced Materials & Manufacturing Technologies Office (AMMTO)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC07-05ID14517
OSTI ID:
2440405
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 2336840
Report Number(s):
INL/JOU--24-80158-Rev000
Journal Information:
Chemical Engineering Journal, Journal Name: Chemical Engineering Journal Vol. 489; ISSN 1385-8947
Publisher:
ElsevierCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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