Lithium-for-earth and Hydro Lithium announced on Jan. 31 that two technologies invented by Dr. Jun Woong -- Lithium Extraction from Saline and Other Sources (CULX), and Environmentally Friendly Lithium Hydroxide Production Using Water (CULH) -- have recently been granted patent registrations in multiple countries.
Lithium-for-earth holds the patent rights for the lithium extraction technology, while Hydro Lithium holds them for the lithium hydroxide production technology.
The patent for the saline lithium extraction technology has been registered in Argentina and Australia, following earlier registrations in South Korea, the United States, Russia, and China. This ensures that Dr. Jun Woong’s lithium extraction technology is now patented in all major lithium resource-holding countries worldwide.
The technology is also under review for patent registrations in Europe, Chile, Bolivia, Canada, Japan, and Central Asia.
Lithium, a key mineral resource for secondary batteries, is extracted from natural resources like ores and saline water. However, ore-based extraction is limited to a few countries like Australia and China due to its low lithium content and environmental concerns, including the use of large amounts of sulfuric acid and the generation of acidic waste.
In contrast, saline water, while comparatively less harmful to the environment, contains various impurities like magnesium and calcium, making it challenging to extract only lithium. This requires advanced technology.
Dr. Jun Woong’s technology economically extracts lithium from lithium-containing solutions with high impurity content. Unlike other Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) technologies, it precipitates lithium as a lithium composite, facilitating its recovery.
The newly patented technologies have been verified in large-scale demo plants and are ready for large-scale commercial processes. Discussions are currently underway with several overseas companies.
Consequently, in South Korea, China, and Russia, technologies for extracting lithium from impure saline sources, producing lithium carbonate from lithium compounds, and producing lithium hydroxide from low-purity lithium carbonate are all patented. This allows legal protection across the entire value chain, from natural saline water to ultra-high purity lithium hydroxide.