Salt isn’t the only mineral that can be condensed from brine. In fact, there are at least 47 different minerals and metals that can be extracted from seawater. Sodium has the largest content, followed by magnesium, sulphur, calcium and bromine. Seawater is also a valuable source of lithium, in addition to a variety of other elements.
Brine ponds are an important part of the extraction process. While methods vary depending on the minerals or metals that a company is extracting, in general, evaporation processes are used to condense the brine and make extracting easier. Often, processing prior to evaporation is required, while some minerals can be extracted after the evaporation process is complete.
