Journal of the Korean Society of Mineral and Energy Resources Engineers ISSN:2288-0291(Print) 2288-2790(Online) 한국자원공학회지

Attention has been drawn to valuable elements dissolved in seawater which can replace the ground minerals being depleted. Currently, NaCl, KCl, Mg and Br are recovered from seawater in a commercial scale. Li, Rb and Sc are expected to be recovered commercially in the future. Especially, U has gained a strategic importance as an energy resource. The total amount of recoverable elements is tremendous though the concentration of these elements in seawater is extremely low. Commercially recovered elements are described briefly in this paper, focussing on the recovery processes. Meanwhile, those elements on R&D stages are also introduced, addressing the techniques in literature. Li for Li batteries and U for fuel in the nuclear power plants are regarded as the most actively studied elements based on their high recovery prospects. Due to increasing environmental constraints on the development of land deposit, valuable elements in seawater are expected to become more attractive substitutional resources than ever before. The recovery of these minute metals in seawater could be realized earlier than we expect when they are produced as by-products in desalination plants.