CC BY 4.0TorresD PérezK MadridFMG LeivaWH GálvezE Salinas-RodríguezE GallegosS JamettI CastilloJ SaldanaM ToroJonathan Castillo Segura2025-06-052025-06-052024https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12740/22633The average lithium content in the Earth's crust is estimated at about 0.007%. Despite this, lithium is considered abundant and widely distributed, with significant extraction from various sources. Notably, the brines in the Salar de Atacama are highlighted for their high lithium concentration similar to 1800 mg/L. Lithium is currently recovered from these brines through a solar evaporation process. The brine is transferred through a series of ponds, increasing the lithium concentration from 0.2% to 6% over 18 months, while decanting other minerals like potassium, magnesium, and boron. This method is the most efficient and cost-effective globally due to the Salar de Atacama's high lithium concentration of approximately 1800 ppm and the region's intense solar radiation, which facilitates evaporation at no economic cost. This manuscript describes in detail the lithium and potassium extraction processes used in the Salar de Atacama. C1 [Torres, David; Perez, Kevin; Gallegos, Sandra; Saldana, Manuel; Toro, Norman] Univ Arturo Prat, Fac Engn & Architecture, Iquique 1110939, Chile. [Madrid, Felipe M. Galleguillos] Univ Antofagasta, Ctr Desarrollo Energet Antofagasta, Antofagasta 1240000, Chile. [Leiva, Williams H.] Univ San Sebastian, Fac Ingn Arquitectura & Diseno, Concepcion, Chile. [Galvez, Edelmira] Univ Catolica Norte, Dept Ingn Metalurg & Minas, Antofagasta 1270709, Chile. [Salinas-Rodriguez, Eleazar] Autonomous Univ State Hidalgo, Inst Basic Sci & Engn, Acad Area Earth Sci & Mat, Pachuca 42184, Mexico. [Jamett, Ingrid] Univ Antofagasta, Fac Ingn, Ctr Econ Circular Proc Ind CECPI, Antofagasta 1270300, Chile. [Jamett, Ingrid] Univ Antofagasta, Fac Ingn, Dept Ingn Ind, Antofagasta 1240000, Chile. [Castillo, Jonathan] Univ Atacama, Dept Ingn Met, Copiapo 1531772, Chile. C3 Universidad Arturo Prat; Universidad de Antofagasta; Universidad San Sebastian; Universidad Catolica del Norte; Universidad Autonoma del Estado de Hidalgo; Universidad de Antofagasta; Universidad de Antofagasta; Universidad de Atacamainfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessbrinessolar evaporationlithium carbonatelithium hydroxideMaterials Science; Metallurgy & Metallurgical EngineeringOtro10.3390/met14101095