Objective In this study, manganese-based adsorbents were used to recover lithium resources from the gas field produced water in an environmentally friendly and efficient manner.

Methods The study investigated the adsorption performance of a manganese-based lithium adsorbent (mainly composed of Li_1.361Mn_1.639O₄) under various experimental conditions, including solid-liquid ratio, initial concentration, and temperature, in gas field producted water (ρ(Mg²⁺):ρ(Li⁺)= 2.46). The physical and chemical properties of the adsorbent material before and after adsorption were analyzed using scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometer.

Results After undergoing five adsorption and desorption cycles, the adsorbent maintained an adsorption capacity of 9.5-10.5 mg/g, while the manganese dissolution and loss rate remained below 2%. The adsorption process followed the quasi-secondary kinetic model, with chemical adsorption being the main controlling factor for the adsorption rate. The adsorption behaviours were consistent with the Langmuir adsorption isothermal model, indicating the presence of a saturated adsorption capacity.

Conclusions Manganese-based adsorbents show promise for lithium resource recovery in gas field produced water. The adsorbent material could be modified to reduce manganese solubility loss and improve adsorption capacity by introducing buffer ions, so as to improve the lithium extraction efficiency in gas field produced water.