Guoke Zhao
Associate Professor
Sinopec
Guoke Zhao obtained her PhD in Materials Science and Engineering from Tsinghua University in 2021. She is currently an Associate Research Fellow at SINOPEC Beijing Research Institute of Chemical Industry. She has been devoted to the fabrication of novel membrane materials and their industrial promotion in the fields of water treatment, chemical industry environmental protection, and circular economy. So far, she has published 70+ papers in journals such as Chem. Soc. Rev., Adv. Mater., J. Membr. Sci., Sep. Purif. Technol. She has applied for 80+ Chinese patents and 5 PCT patents. Currently, she is undertaking 4 projects from Sinopec.
Participates in
TECHNICAL PROGRAMME | Energy Fuels and Molecules
Helium, Lithium, and Trace Metals Extraction
Forum 17 | Technical Programme Hall 3
30
April
10:00
11:30
UTC+3
The accelerating global energy electrification has driven surging demand for lithium resources, while conventional lithium mining faces dual constraints of resource availability and environmental concerns. In response, international energy giants (including Saudi Aramco, Sinopec, ExxonMobil, Equinor, Shell, and BP) are actively diversifying into lithium extraction technologies to address energy transition challenges. Notably, oilfield-associated brines represent underutilized lithium reserves, exemplified by a Sinopec-operated gas field in Sichuan Basin where brine lithium concentration reaches 124 mg/L (2.5× industrial grade threshold). However, the economic viability of brine lithium extraction is severely hindered by high Mg2+/Li+ ratio and the challenging separation of Mg2+/Li+ ions with minimal size difference (0.1 nm).
To overcome this barrier, we developed a novel nanofiltration (NF) membrane with exceptional Mg2+/Li+ selectivity. Through nucleophilic substitution and epoxy ring-opening reactions, we engineered a polyamide membrane featuring high-density positive surface charges and sub-nanometer pore tuning. This design synergistically combines Donnan exclusion and size-sieving mechanisms, achieving stable positive charge retention across pH 3-10. The optimized membrane demonstrates remarkable performance: 30% LiCl rejection (permeation preference), 99.3% MgCl2 rejection, and 50 LMH water flux at 0.5 MPa. The Mg2+/Li+ selectivity reaches 167, 16× higher than commercial DOW NF270 membranes (< 10) and surpasses most literature values. Applied to Dongtai Jinaier Lake brine, our two-stage NF-concentration-precipitation system produced 99.4% pure Li2CO3, approaching battery-grade specifications (99.5%).
This technology offers dual advantages of green fabrication and industrial scalability, compatible with existing spiral-wound membrane production lines at comparable costs. Industrial-scale 8040 membrane elements will be prototyped in 2025, with pilot validation planned in Sinopec oilfields. Our solution provides an efficient pathway for lithium recovery from global oilfield brines, supporting energy companies’ low-carbon transition strategies.
To overcome this barrier, we developed a novel nanofiltration (NF) membrane with exceptional Mg2+/Li+ selectivity. Through nucleophilic substitution and epoxy ring-opening reactions, we engineered a polyamide membrane featuring high-density positive surface charges and sub-nanometer pore tuning. This design synergistically combines Donnan exclusion and size-sieving mechanisms, achieving stable positive charge retention across pH 3-10. The optimized membrane demonstrates remarkable performance: 30% LiCl rejection (permeation preference), 99.3% MgCl2 rejection, and 50 LMH water flux at 0.5 MPa. The Mg2+/Li+ selectivity reaches 167, 16× higher than commercial DOW NF270 membranes (< 10) and surpasses most literature values. Applied to Dongtai Jinaier Lake brine, our two-stage NF-concentration-precipitation system produced 99.4% pure Li2CO3, approaching battery-grade specifications (99.5%).
This technology offers dual advantages of green fabrication and industrial scalability, compatible with existing spiral-wound membrane production lines at comparable costs. Industrial-scale 8040 membrane elements will be prototyped in 2025, with pilot validation planned in Sinopec oilfields. Our solution provides an efficient pathway for lithium recovery from global oilfield brines, supporting energy companies’ low-carbon transition strategies.
