1 Introduction China is a country which has many salt lakes.Tibet is the area where have numerous salt lake,because the sources of water have multiple chemical type,resulting in Tibet salt
Lithium-aluminum layered double hydroxides(LiAl-LDH)have been be successfully applied in commercial-scale for lithium extraction from salt lake brine,however,further advancement of their applications is hampered by su...Lithium-aluminum layered double hydroxides(LiAl-LDH)have been be successfully applied in commercial-scale for lithium extraction from salt lake brine,however,further advancement of their applications is hampered by suboptimal Li^(+)adsorption performance and ambiguous extraction process.Herein,a doping engineering strategy was developed to fabricate novel Zn^(2+)-doped LiAl-LDH(LiZnAl-LDH)with remarkable higher Li^(+)adsorption capacity(13.4 mg/g)and selectivity(separation factors of 213,834,171 for Li^(+)/K^(+),Li^(+)/Na^(+),Li^(+)/Mg^(2+),respectively),as well as lossless reusability in Luobupo brine compared to the pristine LiAl-LDH.Further,combining experiments and simulation calculations,it was revealed that the specific surface area,hydrophilic,and surface attraction for Li^(+)of LiZnAl-LDH were significantly improved,reducing the adsorption energy(Ead)and Gibbs free energy(ΔG),thus facilitating the transfer of Li^(+)from brine into interface followed by insertion into voids.Importantly,the intrinsic oxygen vacancies derived from Zn-doping depressed the diffusion energy barrier of Li^(+),which accelerated the diffusion process of Li^(+)in the internal bulk of LiZnAl-LDH.This work provides a general strategy to overcome the existing limitations of Li^(+)recovery and deepens the understanding of Li^(+)extraction on LiAl-LDH.展开更多
Electrochemical lithium extraction from salt lakes is an effective strategy for obtaining lithium at a low cost.Nevertheless,the elevated Mg:Li ratio and the presence of numerous coexisting ions in salt lake brines gi...Electrochemical lithium extraction from salt lakes is an effective strategy for obtaining lithium at a low cost.Nevertheless,the elevated Mg:Li ratio and the presence of numerous coexisting ions in salt lake brines give rise to challenges,such as prolonged lithium extraction periods,diminished lithium extraction efficiency,and considerable environmental pollution.In this work,Li FePO4(LFP)served as the electrode material for electrochemical lithium extraction.The conductive network in the LFP electrode was optimized by adjusting the type of conductive agent.This approach resulted in high lithium extraction efficiency and extended cycle life.When the single conductive agent of acetylene black(AB)or multiwalled carbon nanotubes(MWCNTs)was replaced with the mixed conductive agent of AB/MWCNTs,the average diffusion coefficient of Li+in the electrode increased from 2.35×10^(-9)or 1.77×10^(-9)to 4.21×10^(-9)cm^(2)·s^(-1).At the current density of 20 mA·g^(-1),the average lithium extraction capacity per gram of LFP electrode increased from 30.36 mg with the single conductive agent(AB)to 35.62 mg with the mixed conductive agent(AB/MWCNTs).When the mixed conductive agent was used,the capacity retention of the electrode after 30 cycles reached 82.9%,which was considerably higher than the capacity retention of 65.8%obtained when the single AB was utilized.Meanwhile,the electrode with mixed conductive agent of AB/MWCNTs provided good cycling performance.When the conductive agent content decreased or the loading capacity increased,the electrode containing the mixed conductive agent continued to show excellent electrochemical performance.Furthermore,a self-designed,highly efficient,continuous lithium extraction device was constructed.The electrode utilizing the AB/MWCNT mixed conductive agent maintained excellent adsorption capacity and cycling performance in this device.This work provides a new perspective for the electrochemical extraction of lithium using LFP electrodes.展开更多
Salt lake brine was reacted with activated aluminum-based alloys and lithium was precipitated.The effects of aluminum-based alloys on precipitating lithium were investigated and the reasonable alloy used to extract li...Salt lake brine was reacted with activated aluminum-based alloys and lithium was precipitated.The effects of aluminum-based alloys on precipitating lithium were investigated and the reasonable alloy used to extract lithium from brine was obtained.The effects of the mole ratio of Al to Li and Ca content of Al-Ca alloy,the initial concentration of lithiumion ion in solution,reaction temperature and reaction time on the adsorption rate of lithium were studied,and the optimized process parameters were determined.The results show that the mole ratio of Al to Li and Ca content of Al-Ca alloy and reaction temperature have great influences on the precipitation rate of lithium.The precipitation rate of lithium reaches 94.6% under the optimal condition,indicating that Al-Ca alloy is suitable for the extraction of lithium from salt lake brine.展开更多
The residues of salt lake brine from which potassium had been removed were used to extract Rb＋ and Cs＋ together with a sulphonated kerosene（SK） solution of 1.0 mol/L 4-tert-butyl-2-（α-methylbenzyl） phenol（t-BA...The residues of salt lake brine from which potassium had been removed were used to extract Rb＋ and Cs＋ together with a sulphonated kerosene（SK） solution of 1.0 mol/L 4-tert-butyl-2-（α-methylbenzyl） phenol（t-BAMBP）. Rb＋ and Cs＋ were enriched and separated effectively by precipitating Mg2＋ before extraction and by scrubbing out K＋ and Na＋ repeatedly before stripping. The effects of the volume ratio of organic phase to aqueous extraction phase（O/A）, alkalinity of aqueous phase（c（OH）-）, interference from K＋ and Mg2＋, and ratio the volume of organic phase to aqueous scrubbing phase（O/A′） were investigated. The experimental brine was extracted optimally by 5-stage extraction with 1.0 mol/L t-BAMBP in SK, c（OH-）=1 mol/L, and O/A=1：1. The scrubbing yield of rubidium was only about 10.5% when the extraction solvent was washed 3 times with 1×10-4 mol/L Na OH at O/A′=1：0.5. After 5-stage countercurrent extraction, the final extraction yields of Rb＋ and Cs＋ reached 95.04% and 99.80%, respectively.展开更多
Based on the requirement of the new technology for producing potassium sulfate and N-Mg compound fertilizer,boussingaultite,by the reaction of the mineral shoenite from Kunteyi Salt Lake,Qinghai province,and the indus...Based on the requirement of the new technology for producing potassium sulfate and N-Mg compound fertilizer,boussingaultite,by the reaction of the mineral shoenite from Kunteyi Salt Lake,Qinghai province,and the industrial by-product ammonium sulfate,the solubilities of the quaternary system(NH_(4))_(2)SO_(4)-MgSO_(4)-K_(2)SO_(4)-H_(2)O at 25.0℃in the isothermal evaporation and crystallization process were measured using the isothermal evaporation method,and the corresponding phase diagrams were plotted.According to the diagram,this system contains six saturation points and six solid phase fields of crystallization,which correspond to(K1-m,(NH_(4))m)_(2)SO_(4),(NH_(4))_(2)SO_(4)·MgSO_(4)·6H_(2)O,K_(2)SO_(4)·MgSO_(4)·6H_(2)O,MgSO_(4)·6H_(2)O,(K1-n,(NH_(4))n)_(2)SO_(4)·MgSO_(4)·6H_(2)O and MgSO_(4)·7H_(2)O,respectively.By analyzing and calculating the isothermal evaporation and dissolution phase diagram of this quaternary system at 25.0℃,K_(2)SO_(4)and(NH_(4))_(2)SO_(4)·MgSO_(4)·6H_(2)O can be separated via K_(2)SO_(4)·MgSO_(4)·6H_(2)O and(NH_(4))_(2)SO_(4)as raw materials.Theoretical calculations about the proposed process were carried out and verified by experiment,which indicated that the yield of potassium sulfate was improved and the magnesium resources were fully utilized.展开更多
1 Introduction As the lightest metal with the unique properties of energy production and storage,lithium is regarded as the new century energy metal.Lithium and its compounds were widely used in various industrial fie...1 Introduction As the lightest metal with the unique properties of energy production and storage,lithium is regarded as the new century energy metal.Lithium and its compounds were widely used in various industrial fields,especially in展开更多
Salt Lake brine pump is one of the key equipment in salt lake brine extraction device.As the salt lake brine is a kind of high concentration solution with a variety of chemical constituents,the flow and agitation of s...Salt Lake brine pump is one of the key equipment in salt lake brine extraction device.As the salt lake brine is a kind of high concentration solution with a variety of chemical constituents,the flow and agitation of saturated展开更多
At present,the extraction of lithium from salt lake brine is the new trend of the salt lake industrialization.The saltine lake lithium resources are extremely rich in western china,especially in Qinghai-Tibetan platea...At present,the extraction of lithium from salt lake brine is the new trend of the salt lake industrialization.The saltine lake lithium resources are extremely rich in western china,especially in Qinghai-Tibetan plateau.Brine of salt展开更多
1 Introduction Tibet has nurmerous salt lakes.Laguocuo is one of the salt lakes,which is located to the sorthern of Ali Plateau,31°59′02″N-32°04′08″N,84°02′03″E-84°12′03″E.Its lake water is...1 Introduction Tibet has nurmerous salt lakes.Laguocuo is one of the salt lakes,which is located to the sorthern of Ali Plateau,31°59′02″N-32°04′08″N,84°02′03″E-84°12′03″E.Its lake water is rich in potassium,magnesium,lithium,boron,rubidium,cesium and other resources.The study of展开更多
Three ionic liquids（ILs）, namely, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate, 1-butyl-3-me- thylimidazolium bis[（trifluoromethyl）sulfonyl]imide and 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis[（trifluoromethyl）sul- fony...Three ionic liquids（ILs）, namely, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate, 1-butyl-3-me- thylimidazolium bis[（trifluoromethyl）sulfonyl]imide and 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis[（trifluoromethyl）sul- fonyl]imide with the triisobutyl phosphate（TIBP） and kerosene system were respectively used to extract lithium ion from salt lake brine with a high concentration ratio of magnesium and lithium experimentally. Results indicate that the highest extraction selectivity for lithium was obtained with IL 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis[（trifluoromethyl）- sulfonyl]imide. The effects of solution pH and phase ratio R（O/A） on the extractive step and the influence of acid concentration of the stripping solution and R（O/A） on the back extraction step were also investigated systematically. The single-step extraction efficiency of lithium ion was 83.71% under the optimal extraction conditions, and the single-step back extraction efficiency was 85.61% with a 1.0 mol/L HCI in 1.0 mol/L NaCI medium as stripping agent at R（O/A）=2. The liquid-liquid extraction mechanism and the complex of the ligand with lithium were proposed.展开更多
A novel method for removing boron with ion exchange resin from residual brines to manufacture boron-free magnesia is described. The concentration of boron in the target magnesia manufactured thereby from Qinghai salt...A novel method for removing boron with ion exchange resin from residual brines to manufacture boron-free magnesia is described. The concentration of boron in the target magnesia manufactured thereby from Qinghai salt lakes is lower than 5 mg/g, and the typical D50 size of product is 10.625 mm.展开更多
The Qaidam Basin on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is well endowed with a variety of critical metals,such as Li and Rb.However,little is known about the distribution,source,and enrichment mechanisms of these elements.In th...The Qaidam Basin on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is well endowed with a variety of critical metals,such as Li and Rb.However,little is known about the distribution,source,and enrichment mechanisms of these elements.In this paper,we present results of systematic geochemical and H-O-B isotopic analyses of brines in the Tertiary and Quaternary sediments of the Qaidam basin.The results reveal that the paleobrines from oil-bearing anticlines at Dafengshan,Nanyishan,Youquanzi,Jiandingshan,and Jianshishan are significantly enriched in Li and Rb,whose contents are 81.1-128.9 mg L^(-1)and 4.5-29.2 mg L^(-1),respectively,reaching levels of economic significance.High Rb contents(up to 12.5 mg L^(-1))and well-endowment of Li also characterize the Dongtai,Xitai,Yiliping,and Senie salt lakes in the Qaidam Basin.The Tertiary paleobrine average inδD andδ18O at-40.7‰and 2.84‰,respectively.The paleobrine with the highest Li and Rb hasδD andδ^(18)O values close to magmatic water.Theδ^(11)B values are lower than those of river water but close to those of geothermal fluids,suggesting that replenishment by deep magmatic hydrothermal fluid is most likely the key mechanism for the anomalous enrichment of these elements in the paleobrines,though evaporation and water-rock reactions have contributed to the critical metal mineralization.The anomalous enrichment of Li and Rb in modern salt lake brines is closely related to the input of volcanic geothermal water.The relatively high Li and Rb contents of intercrystalline brines in salt lakes of the western Qaidam Basin and the increase of Li and Rb contents with increasing depth were caused by upwelling of local paleobrines along the fault zones.展开更多
文摘1 Introduction China is a country which has many salt lakes.Tibet is the area where have numerous salt lake,because the sources of water have multiple chemical type,resulting in Tibet salt
基金supports for this work from National Key R&D Program of China(No.2022YFC2906300)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.52204283)+2 种基金the Natural Science Foundation of Hubei Province of China(No.2021CFB554)the Key Project of the Science and Technology Research of Hubei Provincial Department of Education(No.D20221605)the CONACYT through the project A1-S-8817.L.J.Z.would like to thank CONACYT for the scholarship for granting his the scholarship No.847199 during his Ph.D study.
文摘Lithium-aluminum layered double hydroxides(LiAl-LDH)have been be successfully applied in commercial-scale for lithium extraction from salt lake brine,however,further advancement of their applications is hampered by suboptimal Li^(+)adsorption performance and ambiguous extraction process.Herein,a doping engineering strategy was developed to fabricate novel Zn^(2+)-doped LiAl-LDH(LiZnAl-LDH)with remarkable higher Li^(+)adsorption capacity(13.4 mg/g)and selectivity(separation factors of 213,834,171 for Li^(+)/K^(+),Li^(+)/Na^(+),Li^(+)/Mg^(2+),respectively),as well as lossless reusability in Luobupo brine compared to the pristine LiAl-LDH.Further,combining experiments and simulation calculations,it was revealed that the specific surface area,hydrophilic,and surface attraction for Li^(+)of LiZnAl-LDH were significantly improved,reducing the adsorption energy(Ead)and Gibbs free energy(ΔG),thus facilitating the transfer of Li^(+)from brine into interface followed by insertion into voids.Importantly,the intrinsic oxygen vacancies derived from Zn-doping depressed the diffusion energy barrier of Li^(+),which accelerated the diffusion process of Li^(+)in the internal bulk of LiZnAl-LDH.This work provides a general strategy to overcome the existing limitations of Li^(+)recovery and deepens the understanding of Li^(+)extraction on LiAl-LDH.
基金financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.52072322)the Department of Science and Technology of Sichuan Province,China(Nos.23GJHZ0147,23ZDYF0262,2022YFG0294,and 2019-GH02-00052-HZ)。
文摘Electrochemical lithium extraction from salt lakes is an effective strategy for obtaining lithium at a low cost.Nevertheless,the elevated Mg:Li ratio and the presence of numerous coexisting ions in salt lake brines give rise to challenges,such as prolonged lithium extraction periods,diminished lithium extraction efficiency,and considerable environmental pollution.In this work,Li FePO4(LFP)served as the electrode material for electrochemical lithium extraction.The conductive network in the LFP electrode was optimized by adjusting the type of conductive agent.This approach resulted in high lithium extraction efficiency and extended cycle life.When the single conductive agent of acetylene black(AB)or multiwalled carbon nanotubes(MWCNTs)was replaced with the mixed conductive agent of AB/MWCNTs,the average diffusion coefficient of Li+in the electrode increased from 2.35×10^(-9)or 1.77×10^(-9)to 4.21×10^(-9)cm^(2)·s^(-1).At the current density of 20 mA·g^(-1),the average lithium extraction capacity per gram of LFP electrode increased from 30.36 mg with the single conductive agent(AB)to 35.62 mg with the mixed conductive agent(AB/MWCNTs).When the mixed conductive agent was used,the capacity retention of the electrode after 30 cycles reached 82.9%,which was considerably higher than the capacity retention of 65.8%obtained when the single AB was utilized.Meanwhile,the electrode with mixed conductive agent of AB/MWCNTs provided good cycling performance.When the conductive agent content decreased or the loading capacity increased,the electrode containing the mixed conductive agent continued to show excellent electrochemical performance.Furthermore,a self-designed,highly efficient,continuous lithium extraction device was constructed.The electrode utilizing the AB/MWCNT mixed conductive agent maintained excellent adsorption capacity and cycling performance in this device.This work provides a new perspective for the electrochemical extraction of lithium using LFP electrodes.
基金Project(U1407137)supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China
文摘Salt lake brine was reacted with activated aluminum-based alloys and lithium was precipitated.The effects of aluminum-based alloys on precipitating lithium were investigated and the reasonable alloy used to extract lithium from brine was obtained.The effects of the mole ratio of Al to Li and Ca content of Al-Ca alloy,the initial concentration of lithiumion ion in solution,reaction temperature and reaction time on the adsorption rate of lithium were studied,and the optimized process parameters were determined.The results show that the mole ratio of Al to Li and Ca content of Al-Ca alloy and reaction temperature have great influences on the precipitation rate of lithium.The precipitation rate of lithium reaches 94.6% under the optimal condition,indicating that Al-Ca alloy is suitable for the extraction of lithium from salt lake brine.
基金Project(20606008)supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of ChinaProject(11070210)supported by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities of China
文摘The residues of salt lake brine from which potassium had been removed were used to extract Rb＋ and Cs＋ together with a sulphonated kerosene（SK） solution of 1.0 mol/L 4-tert-butyl-2-（α-methylbenzyl） phenol（t-BAMBP）. Rb＋ and Cs＋ were enriched and separated effectively by precipitating Mg2＋ before extraction and by scrubbing out K＋ and Na＋ repeatedly before stripping. The effects of the volume ratio of organic phase to aqueous extraction phase（O/A）, alkalinity of aqueous phase（c（OH）-）, interference from K＋ and Mg2＋, and ratio the volume of organic phase to aqueous scrubbing phase（O/A′） were investigated. The experimental brine was extracted optimally by 5-stage extraction with 1.0 mol/L t-BAMBP in SK, c（OH-）=1 mol/L, and O/A=1：1. The scrubbing yield of rubidium was only about 10.5% when the extraction solvent was washed 3 times with 1×10-4 mol/L Na OH at O/A′=1：0.5. After 5-stage countercurrent extraction, the final extraction yields of Rb＋ and Cs＋ reached 95.04% and 99.80%, respectively.
基金This project was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(grant No.21576066)the Natural Science Foundation of Hebei Province,China(No.B2017202268)the Research Fund Program of Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Green Chemical Product Technology(No.GC201816).
文摘Based on the requirement of the new technology for producing potassium sulfate and N-Mg compound fertilizer,boussingaultite,by the reaction of the mineral shoenite from Kunteyi Salt Lake,Qinghai province,and the industrial by-product ammonium sulfate,the solubilities of the quaternary system(NH_(4))_(2)SO_(4)-MgSO_(4)-K_(2)SO_(4)-H_(2)O at 25.0℃in the isothermal evaporation and crystallization process were measured using the isothermal evaporation method,and the corresponding phase diagrams were plotted.According to the diagram,this system contains six saturation points and six solid phase fields of crystallization,which correspond to(K1-m,(NH_(4))m)_(2)SO_(4),(NH_(4))_(2)SO_(4)·MgSO_(4)·6H_(2)O,K_(2)SO_(4)·MgSO_(4)·6H_(2)O,MgSO_(4)·6H_(2)O,(K1-n,(NH_(4))n)_(2)SO_(4)·MgSO_(4)·6H_(2)O and MgSO_(4)·7H_(2)O,respectively.By analyzing and calculating the isothermal evaporation and dissolution phase diagram of this quaternary system at 25.0℃,K_(2)SO_(4)and(NH_(4))_(2)SO_(4)·MgSO_(4)·6H_(2)O can be separated via K_(2)SO_(4)·MgSO_(4)·6H_(2)O and(NH_(4))_(2)SO_(4)as raw materials.Theoretical calculations about the proposed process were carried out and verified by experiment,which indicated that the yield of potassium sulfate was improved and the magnesium resources were fully utilized.
基金Financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (21276194)the Specialized Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Chinese Higher Education (20101208110003)the Key Pillar Program of Tianjin Municipal Science and Technology (11ZCKGX02800)
文摘1 Introduction As the lightest metal with the unique properties of energy production and storage,lithium is regarded as the new century energy metal.Lithium and its compounds were widely used in various industrial fields,especially in
基金support of Jiangsu Province ordinary university graduate research innovation projects
文摘Salt Lake brine pump is one of the key equipment in salt lake brine extraction device.As the salt lake brine is a kind of high concentration solution with a variety of chemical constituents,the flow and agitation of saturated
基金the funds of Hunan Engineering Research Center of Potassium and its Coexisted Resources for supporting our work
文摘At present,the extraction of lithium from salt lake brine is the new trend of the salt lake industrialization.The saltine lake lithium resources are extremely rich in western china,especially in Qinghai-Tibetan plateau.Brine of salt
文摘1 Introduction Tibet has nurmerous salt lakes.Laguocuo is one of the salt lakes,which is located to the sorthern of Ali Plateau,31°59′02″N-32°04′08″N,84°02′03″E-84°12′03″E.Its lake water is rich in potassium,magnesium,lithium,boron,rubidium,cesium and other resources.The study of
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China（Nos.21276194, U1407113）, the Training Program for Changjiang Scholars and Innovative Research Team in University, China（No.[2013]373） and the Innovative Research Team of Tianjin Municipal Education Commission, China（No.TD12-5004）.
文摘Three ionic liquids（ILs）, namely, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate, 1-butyl-3-me- thylimidazolium bis[（trifluoromethyl）sulfonyl]imide and 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis[（trifluoromethyl）sul- fonyl]imide with the triisobutyl phosphate（TIBP） and kerosene system were respectively used to extract lithium ion from salt lake brine with a high concentration ratio of magnesium and lithium experimentally. Results indicate that the highest extraction selectivity for lithium was obtained with IL 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis[（trifluoromethyl）- sulfonyl]imide. The effects of solution pH and phase ratio R（O/A） on the extractive step and the influence of acid concentration of the stripping solution and R（O/A） on the back extraction step were also investigated systematically. The single-step extraction efficiency of lithium ion was 83.71% under the optimal extraction conditions, and the single-step back extraction efficiency was 85.61% with a 1.0 mol/L HCI in 1.0 mol/L NaCI medium as stripping agent at R（O/A）=2. The liquid-liquid extraction mechanism and the complex of the ligand with lithium were proposed.
文摘A novel method for removing boron with ion exchange resin from residual brines to manufacture boron-free magnesia is described. The concentration of boron in the target magnesia manufactured thereby from Qinghai salt lakes is lower than 5 mg/g, and the typical D50 size of product is 10.625 mm.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.41972258,U1407128,and 41402229)the Talent Program of Youth Innovation Promotion Association of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(Grant No.2020428)+1 种基金the Natural Science Foundation of Qinghai Province(Grant No.2021-ZJ-980Q)the Second Comprehensive Scientific Expedition to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau(Grant No.2019QZKK0805)。
文摘The Qaidam Basin on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is well endowed with a variety of critical metals,such as Li and Rb.However,little is known about the distribution,source,and enrichment mechanisms of these elements.In this paper,we present results of systematic geochemical and H-O-B isotopic analyses of brines in the Tertiary and Quaternary sediments of the Qaidam basin.The results reveal that the paleobrines from oil-bearing anticlines at Dafengshan,Nanyishan,Youquanzi,Jiandingshan,and Jianshishan are significantly enriched in Li and Rb,whose contents are 81.1-128.9 mg L^(-1)and 4.5-29.2 mg L^(-1),respectively,reaching levels of economic significance.High Rb contents(up to 12.5 mg L^(-1))and well-endowment of Li also characterize the Dongtai,Xitai,Yiliping,and Senie salt lakes in the Qaidam Basin.The Tertiary paleobrine average inδD andδ18O at-40.7‰and 2.84‰,respectively.The paleobrine with the highest Li and Rb hasδD andδ^(18)O values close to magmatic water.Theδ^(11)B values are lower than those of river water but close to those of geothermal fluids,suggesting that replenishment by deep magmatic hydrothermal fluid is most likely the key mechanism for the anomalous enrichment of these elements in the paleobrines,though evaporation and water-rock reactions have contributed to the critical metal mineralization.The anomalous enrichment of Li and Rb in modern salt lake brines is closely related to the input of volcanic geothermal water.The relatively high Li and Rb contents of intercrystalline brines in salt lakes of the western Qaidam Basin and the increase of Li and Rb contents with increasing depth were caused by upwelling of local paleobrines along the fault zones.
