New Chemical Process Offers Safer, Lower-Cost Method for Extracting Lithium from Hard Rock
By
Gayoung Lee
3d ago· 4 min readenNews
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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 both the environmental issues of lithium mining and the looming supply crisis for this critical element used in clean energy technologies.
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.
