ILiAD Technologies has announced the release of ILiAD+, a patent-pending Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) innovation that dramatically reduces operational and capital expenses while improving impurity rejection. Building on the company’s industry-leading ILiAD platform, the ILiAD+ method enhances the lithium-to-sodium equivalent ratio by more than six times and boosts impurity rejection by more than 85 percent.
This leap in performance translates into substantial savings for lithium developers. ILiAD+ targets the most stubborn post-DLE impurities—boron, calcium, potassium, magnesium, and manganese—minimizing the need for costly downstream processes like clarifiers and ion exchange. As a result, developers can reduce the use of reagents such as lime, hydrochloric acid (HCl), and sodium hydroxide (NaOH), while also cutting back on sludge disposal.
It is anticipated that the improved impurity rejection and increased lithium-to-sodium ratio would result in a minimum 10% reduction in downstream capital and operational expenses. For battery-grade lithium manufacturing to become more affordable and scalable, these advancements are essential.
In the Salton Sea, where ILiAD’s sister business ESM ATLiS is developing Project ATLiS, a 22,000-ton-per-year lithium hydroxide factory, the novel method was recently proven on geothermal brine. When compared to earlier ILiAD results, the table below shows a notable improvement in impurity rejection. Considering the intricacy of geothermal brines, our findings point to ILiAD+’s wide potential across a variety of lithium deposits worldwide.
“The key to effective DLE is the ability to selectively capture lithium while rejecting impurities from the feed brine,” stated Samuel Moore, Chief Executive of ILiAD Technologies. “ILiAD was already one of the top-performing platforms in the industry, but ILiAD+ delivers a step change in performance. Once again, we are able to achieve results unique in the industry and, in doing so, making the promise of DLE a reality.”
Derek Benson, Chief Operating Officer of ESM, attached, “The results achieved with ILiAD+ are stunning and beyond anything we thought possible with Direct Lithium Extraction. This new process will be a game-changer for developers like us as we look at total facility costs.”
ILiAD Technologies has a busy schedule of upcoming tests with the ILiAD+ process set to run on other lithium brines from the United States and across the world. “Geothermal brine is often considered one of the more challenging brines to work with and we are excited at the results we will see from other brines,” concluded CEO Samuel Moore.
