HBS-PPS Composite Cation Exchange Membrane

Acid-stable Li/Rb/Cs co-recovery

A cation exchange membrane for efficient mono/multivalent ion separation in strongly acidic leachate, enabling simultaneous recovery of Li, Rb, and Cs.

Yang, Yang · Zhou, Haitao · Seng, Yu · Yihong, Deng · Yafei, Shi · Wang, Chen · Yong, Zhu · Gao, Hongquan · Wu, Jian-Chun · Libo, Wang · Huo, Xiangdong

Materials Today Sustainability 2026

Specifications

Li+/Al3+ selectivity

{'zh': '3.7', 'en': '3.7'}

Continuous operation time

{'zh': '120', 'en': '120'} h

Advantages

Stable in strong acid

The PPS matrix resists chemical degradation, and the membrane maintains basic functionality after 120 h of continuous electrodialysis.

Outperforms commercial membranes

In electrodialysis with real leachate, Li+/Al3+ selectivity reaches 3.7, exceeding that of Nafion and CXP-S membranes.

Co-recovery of three ions

The membrane enables simultaneous extraction of Li+, Rb+, and Cs+ from acidic leachate.

Applications

• Li extraction from salt-lake brines：Separate Li from multivalent impurities in brines via electrodialysis.
• ion exchange membranes：Provide acid-resistant, selectivity-tunable membrane material.
• electrodialysis separation：Achieve simultaneous recovery of multiple monovalent cations in strong acid.