Multi-criteria selection of the best lithium production process in northwest Argentine

Abstract

Perhaps one of the most critical and complex steps in mining is selecting the appropriate production method, based on multiple parameters. This makes it difficult and therefore the importance of developing a tool that facilitates this task. The objective of this work is to use the Fuzzy Analysis Hierarchical Process (FAHP) to develop a model for decision making with multiple criteria that allow selecting appropriate lithium brine mining methods in Northwest Argentina. The model developed considers 5 criteria and 27 sub-criteria, to evaluate 6 methods of extraction of lithium from brine (alternatives). A hierarchical structure with three levels is proposed for the analysis. Alternative 4 is the one that obtains the highest global evaluation and therefore is the best alternative. This tool can be applied for decision-making by new mining companies in the sector.