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State-of-the-art evaporation and concentration systems tailored for salt lake brines and battery recycling.
The global transition toward renewable energy and the exponential growth of the electric vehicle (EV) market have triggered an unprecedented demand for high-purity lithium resources. Lithium, often referred to as "white gold," is the primary component in modern high-density energy storage systems and lithium-ion batteries. However, extracting lithium from natural sources—particularly salt lake brines, geothermal waters, and hard-rock spodumene ores—is an incredibly complex chemical and thermodynamic process. This is where the ZLD Evaporator for Lithium Extraction and Brine Concentration becomes an indispensable technological cornerstone.
Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) is an advanced engineering approach designed to eliminate all liquid waste from an industrial process. In the context of lithium extraction, brine concentration is historically a time-consuming and environmentally sensitive procedure. Traditional solar evaporation ponds require vast expanses of land, specific arid climates, and can take upwards of 12 to 18 months to yield concentrated lithium chloride or lithium sulfate. Furthermore, solar evaporation is highly susceptible to weather fluctuations and often results in suboptimal lithium recovery rates due to the co-precipitation of magnesium, calcium, and other impurities.
Transforming the Industry: By implementing state-of-the-art ZLD evaporators, such as Mechanical Vapor Recompression (MVR) and Thermal Vapor Recompression (TVR) systems, lithium producers can drastically reduce concentration times from months to mere hours. These intelligent, AI-driven evaporation plants maximize lithium yield, minimize freshwater consumption by recycling condensate, and entirely eliminate the ecological footprint associated with toxic wastewater discharge.
Modern ZLD systems utilize forced circulation crystallizers, falling film evaporators, and sophisticated multi-effect evaporation (MEE) configurations to meticulously separate water from the highly saline brine. The resulting concentrated brine is then perfectly conditioned for the subsequent chemical precipitation of battery-grade lithium carbonate (Li2CO3) or lithium hydroxide (LiOH). As environmental regulations globally become increasingly stringent, the integration of ZLD evaporation technology is no longer just a method to enhance production efficiency; it is a mandatory compliance requirement for sustainable and eco-friendly lithium mining operations.
The commercial landscape of lithium extraction is currently undergoing a massive technological transformation. Historically, the "Lithium Triangle" in South America (comprising Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile) and the high-altitude salt lakes in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau of China have relied heavily on conventional extraction methods. However, the commercial and industrial status quo is shifting rapidly towards Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) coupled with advanced ZLD brine concentration systems.
In the current industrial ecosystem, DLE technologies—such as adsorption, ion exchange, and solvent extraction—are utilized to selectively extract lithium ions from raw brine. While DLE is highly efficient at isolating lithium, the resulting eluate (the lithium-bearing solution) is typically very dilute. To convert this dilute eluate into a commercially viable product, immense volumes of water must be removed. This creates a massive industrial demand for high-efficiency, energy-saving evaporation equipment.
This market dynamic has propelled the widespread adoption of MVR (Mechanical Vapor Recompression) evaporators. MVR technology captures the secondary steam generated during evaporation, compresses it using a mechanical centrifugal compressor to raise its temperature and pressure, and reuses it as the primary heating medium. This closed-loop energy recovery system drastically reduces the reliance on external live steam, cutting operational energy costs by up to 70% compared to traditional multi-effect evaporators. For lithium extraction companies, this translates to significantly lower OPEX (Operating Expenses) and a drastically reduced carbon footprint, aligning perfectly with global ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) targets.
Furthermore, the industrial status reveals a growing trend of retrofitting existing lithium plants. Many legacy operations are upgrading their facilities by integrating TVR (Thermal Vapor Recompression) and MVR systems to handle the complex, high-salinity, and highly corrosive wastewater generated during the purification of lithium carbonate. The ability of ZLD systems to handle complex crystallization dynamics—such as the separation of sodium sulfate, sodium chloride, and potassium chloride—makes them critical assets in the modern metallurgical and chemical engineering sectors.
Jiangsu Zongheng Concentration & Drying Equipment Co., Ltd. (formerly Yixing Yangxi Light Industry Machinery Factory), founded in 1992, is located in Zhoutie Town, Yixing City, on the shores of the beautiful Taihu Lake. As a modern high-tech enterprise, we specialize in the manufacturing of concentration, drying, starch industry, alcohol DDGS, and Category III medium & low-pressure vessel equipment.
Jiangsu Zongheng is always committed to exploration and innovation. Through years of sincere effort and user support, it has achieved sustained development. Our main products include evaporation plants, comprising Multi-Effect Evaporators, Thermal Vapor Recompressors (TVR), Waste Heat Evaporators, and Mechanical Vapor Recompressors (MVR, achieving minimal unit energy consumption). These are widely used for liquid concentration, including high-salinity wastewater, organic wastewater, distillates, and critical chemical processing, making the company one of the domestic manufacturers with the most extensive product variety.
The company's other main products include Tube Bundle Dryers, with design and manufacturing capabilities reaching 1600m² (making it a primary manufacturer of large tube bundle dryers). High-quality products and a sincere service attitude have won consistent praise and trust from numerous users at home and abroad, fully demonstrating the company's first-class technical advantages and manufacturing capabilities for large-scale equipment.
The versatility of the ZLD Evaporator for Lithium Extraction and Brine Concentration allows it to be deployed across a wide spectrum of complex industrial scenarios. Each application presents unique chemical challenges, requiring highly customized thermodynamic designs, corrosion-resistant materials (such as Titanium alloys, Duplex stainless steels, and Hastelloy), and intelligent control systems.
In regions like the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau or the Andes Mountains, the raw brine often features a high Magnesium-to-Lithium (Mg/Li) ratio. After initial lithium separation, the resulting solution must be rapidly concentrated. ZLD evaporators operate under vacuum conditions, allowing water to boil at lower temperatures. This is crucial at high altitudes where the boiling point of water is naturally altered. Multi-effect forced circulation evaporators are deployed here to continuously crystallize out unwanted salts while concentrating the lithium chloride to the precise specific gravity required for precipitation.
Lithium extracted from spodumene ore via the sulfuric acid roasting method generates massive amounts of acidic, high-salinity wastewater rich in sodium sulfate (Na2SO4). To achieve Zero Liquid Discharge, MVR evaporators are utilized to concentrate this wastewater until the sodium sulfate reaches supersaturation. The system then feeds into a crystallizer to produce industrial-grade anhydrous sodium sulfate as a valuable byproduct, while the recovered pure condensate water is recycled back into the ore leaching process. This completely closes the water loop in the mining operation.
As the first generation of EV batteries reaches the end of its life cycle, lithium battery recycling has become a booming industry. The hydrometallurgical recycling of "black mass" involves leaching metals using strong acids, followed by solvent extraction to recover nickel, cobalt, and manganese. The final step is the recovery of lithium. The wastewater from this process is highly complex, containing residual heavy metals and mixed salts. Specialized ZLD evaporation plants are engineered to handle these highly corrosive streams, ensuring that lithium is recovered efficiently as battery-grade lithium carbonate while ensuring absolute zero toxic discharge into the environment.
Geothermal brines represent a massive untapped resource for lithium. However, these brines are typically brought to the surface at high temperatures and contain high levels of silica and heavy metals. ZLD systems in this scenario often incorporate Waste Heat Evaporators, utilizing the natural thermal energy of the geothermal fluid itself to drive the evaporation process. This synergy between geothermal energy production and lithium extraction represents the pinnacle of green, sustainable mining, and our advanced evaporator designs are at the forefront of this emerging sector.
As the demand for lithium continues its exponential trajectory, the engineering and design of ZLD evaporators are evolving rapidly. The future of brine concentration is defined by three major technological trends: Intelligent Automation, Energy Synergy, and Advanced Material Sciences.
AI-Driven Process Control: Modern ZLD evaporators are no longer purely mechanical systems; they are becoming smart, IoT-enabled platforms. By integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning algorithms, evaporation plants can now autonomously monitor real-time variations in brine feed concentration, temperature, and viscosity. The AI system dynamically adjusts compressor speeds, steam valve apertures, and circulation pump frequencies to maintain optimal thermodynamic efficiency, preventing scaling and equipment downtime before they occur.
MVR and TVR Hybridization: While MVR is highly energy-efficient, combining it with TVR (Thermal Vapor Recompression) offers unprecedented flexibility. In scenarios where a chemical plant has access to cheap, high-pressure waste steam, a hybrid MVR-TVR system can dynamically switch or combine heat sources to achieve the absolute lowest operating cost per ton of water evaporated. This energy synergy is becoming the gold standard for mega-scale lithium refineries.
Advanced Anti-Corrosion and Anti-Scaling Technologies: Brine concentration inherently involves dealing with extreme scaling (e.g., calcium sulfate, silica) and severe corrosion (high chloride ion concentrations at elevated temperatures). The development trend is heavily focused on utilizing advanced fluoropolymer coatings, nano-treated titanium heat exchange tubes, and proprietary fluid dynamics designs that create high-turbulence zones inside the evaporator, naturally scrubbing the tube walls and preventing scale accumulation. This drastically extends the operational lifecycle of the equipment and reduces maintenance costs.
In March 2002, the company took the lead in obtaining ISO9001:2015 international quality system certification (Certificate No.: 45021), establishing a complete quality assurance system aligned with international standards. In July 2007, it became a Jiangsu Provincial High-Tech Enterprise. In April 2009, the company obtained the Special Equipment Manufacturing License of the People's Republic of China. In August 2012, it acquired the ASME "U" Stamp authorization, marking the company's entry into a new phase of development. The company possesses strong R&D capabilities and advanced manufacturing processes, currently employing over 3 senior engineers and more than 20 engineers and assistant engineers. Multiple innovative technologies have been patented, and many products hold leading positions domestically.
The company currently holds an absolutely leading position in evaporation technology and has extensive cooperation with many renowned large domestic group companies, including Zhuofeng Biology, Meihua Group, Yufeng Group, Yihai Kerry, North China Pharmaceutical Group, Harbin Pharmaceutical Group, Shouguang Juneng, Qilu Pharmaceutical, Qiyuan Pharmaceutical, Xiwang Group, Shengtai Biology, Zhejiang Huakang, Kelun Pharmaceutical (Yili), and Shandong Tianli.
While meeting domestic market demand, the company's DDGS alcohol equipment and tube bundle dryer series products have been exported to Russia and Southeast Asian markets.
We are capable of providing professional technical support and after-sales service nationwide for our vast user base. High-quality products and their unique solutions not only enhance our corporate economic benefits but also bring us satisfaction by solving processing challenges for our clients.
We warmly welcome friends from various industries, both domestic and international, to visit us for cooperation and mutual development!
Explore our full range of evaporation, concentration, and crystallization equipment designed for the zero liquid discharge ecosystem.
