Researchers find new viable sources of Lithium for batteries

With the rapid market penetration of electric vehicles, securing lithium supply has become increasingly critical. However, the traditionally used lime–soda evaporation process is time-consuming, chemical-intensive, and applicable solely to concentrated Li brines. The lithium supply issue mainly lies in the inability of current mining methods to access lithium sources of dilute concentrations and complex chemistry. Electrochemical intercalation has emerged as a highly selective method for lithium extraction; however, limited source compositions have been studied, which is insufficient to predict its applicability to the wide range of unconventional water sources. Researchers from The University of Chicago have been looking at all types of sources of Lithium and finding the best way of extraction from each. Using one-dimensional olivine FePO4 as their model electrode, they have identified roles of major ions contaminants, Sodium, Magnesium and Calcium, so that other might be able to fix the extraction problem.


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