New chemical process offers safer, lower-cost method for extracting lithium from hard rock
By
Gayoung Lee
19h ago· 4 min readenNews
85/100
Golden Brown
Bagelometer↗
Baker's choice. Dense with flavour, light on filler.
Score85TypenewsSentimentpositive
Summary
MIT scientists have developed a new chemical process to extract lithium from spodumene (hard rock) that is safer, lower-cost, and more environmentally friendly than conventional lithium mining methods. The process separates spodumene into lithium, aluminum, and silicon for industrial use. If scaled up, this method could address major environmental issues in lithium mining and help meet rising demand for the element critical to clean energy technologies like batteries.
Key quotes
· 3 pulledThe new process, detailed in a new study published today in the journal Science, chemically separates a mineral called spodumene into lithium, aluminum, and silicon, which are then separated and purified for their respective industrial uses.
If scaled up, this method could easily address the biggest issues in lithium mining, as well as the looming supply crisis for the valuable element.
For all its contribution to clean energy tech, lithium is a tricky, not-so-eco-friendly resource to retrieve.
If scaled up, this method could easily address the biggest issues in lithium mining, as well as the looming supply crisis for the valuable element.
