#lithium extraction

[voguegenics]

Pee Power: How Your Bathroom Break Might Save the Planet (And Charge Your EV)

Did you know your bathroom breaks might help power an EV? Scientists have found a way to recycle batteries using urine. It’s weird, it’s fascinating, and it’s the future. Find out how your coffee-fueled pit stops could save the planet!

Move over, Elon! The next big thing in sustainable energy doesn’t come from a lab—it comes from your bladder. Yes, you heard that right. We’re talking about recycling EV batteries with pee. Who knew saving the planet could be this… awkwardly refreshing? Photo By: Kaboompics.com They say necessity is the mother of invention, but apparently, desperation is her weird cousin who shows up at your…

[mathewmartin1]

Lithium - The Essential Metal Fueling Modern Innovation and Sustainability

Lithium is a remarkable metal known for its critical role in powering technologies that have transformed modern life. From smartphones to electric cars, lithium is at the heart of countless innovations, making it one of the most sought-after elements in today's global market. Known for its light weight and unique properties, lithium is fueling the shift toward greener energy sources, especially with the rise in demand for lithium-ion batteries. This article explores everything about lithium—its unique properties, applications, extraction, and the way it shapes our sustainable future.

The Discovery and Rise of Lithium

Lithium was first discovered in 1817 by Swedish chemist Johan August Arfvedson. Named after the Greek word "lithos," meaning stone, lithium was identified within a mineral rather than a plant, distinguishing it from other alkali metals. However, it wasn’t until the 20th century that lithium’s commercial potential was truly understood. Today, lithium is indispensable in various industries, largely due to its high electrochemical potential and low atomic mass, which make it an ideal choice for energy storage.

Why Is Lithium So Important?

The importance of lithium lies in its versatility. Here are some of the primary reasons why lithium is crucial in modern industries:

Energy Storage: Lithium-ion batteries are widely used in electronics, powering everything from smartphones to electric vehicles (EVs).

Medical Use: Lithium compounds are used in treating bipolar disorder and depression.

Alloys and Glass Production: Lithium improves the durability and temperature resistance of certain alloys and glass.

This wide range of applications underscores lithium's significance and its expanding role in promoting technological and environmental advancement.

Lithium's Unique Properties

Lithium is the lightest metal on the periodic table and has several unique features that make it ideal for various applications:

High Energy Density: Lithium has a high electrochemical potential, allowing lithium-ion batteries to store more energy in a smaller space.

Low Density: Lithium is much lighter than other metals, making it ideal for applications where weight is a consideration.

Reactivity: Lithium’s reactivity enables it to release energy quickly, a property especially useful in power storage systems.

These properties have positioned lithium as a game-changer in energy storage solutions.

The Role of Lithium in Green Technology

As the world strives to reduce carbon emissions and shift toward cleaner energy, lithium is front and center in these efforts. Lithium-ion batteries, specifically, are crucial for renewable energy systems like wind and solar, where efficient energy storage is key. Furthermore, electric vehicles (EVs) have surged in popularity as a sustainable alternative to gasoline-powered cars, creating an ever-growing demand for lithium batteries. This demand reflects the commitment to a greener planet and a sustainable future.

Applications of Lithium Across Industries

Lithium plays a vital role in many industries beyond just battery technology. Here’s a closer look at some of its key applications:

Battery Technology: Powering everything from smartphones to electric vehicles.

Pharmaceuticals: Used in psychiatric medications for stabilizing mood disorders.

Aerospace: Used in high-strength alloys for aircraft construction due to its lightweight nature.

Glass and Ceramics: Improves the strength and heat resistance of glass.

In each of these applications, lithium provides distinct advantages that make it the material of choice.

How is Lithium Extracted?

The extraction of lithium is a complex process that mainly takes place in areas rich in lithium resources, such as Chile, Argentina, and Australia. There are two primary methods:

Brine Extraction: Commonly used in South America, where lithium-rich saltwater brine is pumped to the surface and allowed to evaporate. Lithium is then extracted from the remaining salts.

Hard Rock Mining: Primarily done in Australia, where lithium is extracted from spodumene, a lithium-containing mineral.

Both methods have environmental impacts, such as water depletion and landscape disruption. However, research is ongoing to develop more sustainable extraction processes to minimize these effects.

The Environmental Impact of Lithium Mining

While lithium is essential for green technology, its extraction has raised environmental concerns. Lithium extraction, especially through brine extraction, often occurs in areas with scarce water resources, such as the Atacama Desert in Chile. This has led to concerns over water depletion and ecosystem disruption. As the demand for lithium continues to grow, addressing these environmental challenges will be crucial for sustainable development.

Lithium's Role in Electric Vehicles

Electric vehicles (EVs) rely heavily on lithium-ion batteries due to their energy efficiency and long lifespan. With governments worldwide pushing for increased EV adoption, the demand for lithium continues to soar. Industry experts predict that by 2030, the EV industry alone will require five times more lithium than today. This trend highlights lithium as a key player in the future of sustainable transportation.

Challenges in Meeting Lithium Demand

The rising demand for lithium brings with it several challenges. The primary issues are:

Resource Scarcity: Lithium reserves are concentrated in only a few countries.

Environmental Impact: Mining and extraction can lead to ecosystem damage.

Cost and Supply Chain: Meeting global demand requires significant investment in extraction and supply infrastructure.

These challenges make it imperative to develop alternative technologies or methods to recycle lithium to ensure a stable supply.

Recycling Lithium: An Emerging Solution

With the growing demand and limited supply of lithium, recycling has become a promising solution. By recovering lithium from used batteries, recycling can reduce the need for new lithium mining. Although still in its early stages, lithium recycling technology is advancing, offering hope for a more sustainable lithium supply chain. Experts in the industry foresee recycled lithium playing a critical role in meeting future demand, especially in countries with limited lithium resources.

Global Lithium Reserves and Production

As of recent reports, the world's largest lithium reserves are found in:

Chile: Approximately 9.2 million metric tons

Australia: Around 4.7 million metric tons

Argentina: Close to 1.9 million metric tons

These reserves are projected to meet current demand, but with rising usage in technology and transportation, even these vast resources may face strain.

The Future of Lithium in a Renewable World

Lithium’s role is only expected to grow as renewable energy sources become more widespread. As energy storage technologies evolve, lithium-based batteries will likely remain central due to their efficiency and power. Innovations in lithium battery technology could increase energy storage capacity, reduce costs, and further drive the adoption of renewable energy systems worldwide.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is lithium used for? Lithium is primarily used in batteries for electronics, electric vehicles, and renewable energy storage. It's also used in pharmaceuticals, glass, and ceramics.

Why is lithium essential for electric vehicles? Lithium's light weight and high energy density make it ideal for batteries in electric vehicles, providing long-lasting and efficient power.

What are the environmental impacts of lithium mining? Lithium mining, especially in water-scarce areas, can lead to water depletion and ecosystem damage. Efforts are being made to develop more sustainable extraction processes.

Can lithium be recycled? Yes, lithium can be recycled, especially from used batteries. Recycling is seen as a potential solution to reduce dependency on lithium mining.

Where are the largest lithium reserves? The largest lithium reserves are located in Chile, Australia, and Argentina, with these countries supplying a significant portion of the global demand.

How does lithium contribute to renewable energy? Lithium-ion batteries are crucial for storing energy from renewable sources like solar and wind, supporting a more sustainable energy grid.

Conclusion

Lithium has become indispensable in today’s technology-driven world, especially as society moves toward a more sustainable and energy-efficient future. From its essential role in powering electric vehicles to its significance in renewable energy systems, lithium is central to the ongoing technological revolution. While challenges like environmental impact and resource scarcity exist, ongoing research into sustainable extraction and recycling methods holds promise for a future where lithium continues to support green innovation. As the demand for lithium grows, its impact on the modern world will only become more profound.

[quixoticanarchy]

thought too hard about supply chains and resource extraction again. concluded industrialization was a mistake. once youre done reading this we should all throw our devices in a ditch

[ancient-healer]

[immaculatasknight]

Forever war

[thevitalportal]

The time for passive unconditional extraction economies to support manufacturers and other nations without question are coming to a close.

Source

[appalachianfuturism]

“For activists and experts who keep a close eye on the oil and gas industry, Eureka’s troubles raise doubts about the economic viability of using Pennsylvania’s fracking wastewater as a source for lithium, since Eureka is the only company in the state to successfully extract lithium from wastewater. It’s also the latest example of the problems created by a sprawling and under-regulated oil and gas waste disposal system.”

[joannxie]

Direct Lithium Extraction from Salar

Direct Lithium Extraction equipment provided by Tiei Extraction

Liquid Liquid Extraction Equipment Our technology: solvent extraction Our equipment: centrifugal extractor

Website: https://www.tyextractor.com/sol_cat/lithium/ Email: sales@tieiextraction.com Whatspp: +86 19069612820

[reasonsforhope]

Green energy is in its heyday. 

Renewable energy sources now account for 22% of the nation’s electricity, and solar has skyrocketed eight times over in the last decade. This spring in California, wind, water, and solar power energy sources exceeded expectations, accounting for an average of 61.5 percent of the state's electricity demand across 52 days. 

But green energy has a lithium problem. Lithium batteries control more than 90% of the global grid battery storage market. 

That’s not just cell phones, laptops, electric toothbrushes, and tools. Scooters, e-bikes, hybrids, and electric vehicles all rely on rechargeable lithium batteries to get going. 

Fortunately, this past week, Natron Energy launched its first-ever commercial-scale production of sodium-ion batteries in the U.S. 

“Sodium-ion batteries offer a unique alternative to lithium-ion, with higher power, faster recharge, longer lifecycle and a completely safe and stable chemistry,” said Colin Wessells — Natron Founder and Co-CEO — at the kick-off event in Michigan. 

The new sodium-ion batteries charge and discharge at rates 10 times faster than lithium-ion, with an estimated lifespan of 50,000 cycles.

Wessells said that using sodium as a primary mineral alternative eliminates industry-wide issues of worker negligence, geopolitical disruption, and the “questionable environmental impacts” inextricably linked to lithium mining. 

“The electrification of our economy is dependent on the development and production of new, innovative energy storage solutions,” Wessells said. 

Why are sodium batteries a better alternative to lithium?

The birth and death cycle of lithium is shadowed in environmental destruction. The process of extracting lithium pollutes the water, air, and soil, and when it’s eventually discarded, the flammable batteries are prone to bursting into flames and burning out in landfills. 

There’s also a human cost. Lithium-ion materials like cobalt and nickel are not only harder to source and procure, but their supply chains are also overwhelmingly attributed to hazardous working conditions and child labor law violations. 

Sodium, on the other hand, is estimated to be 1,000 times more abundant in the earth’s crust than lithium. 

“Unlike lithium, sodium can be produced from an abundant material: salt,” engineer Casey Crownhart wrote ​​in the MIT Technology Review. “Because the raw ingredients are cheap and widely available, there’s potential for sodium-ion batteries to be significantly less expensive than their lithium-ion counterparts if more companies start making more of them.”

What will these batteries be used for?

Right now, Natron has its focus set on AI models and data storage centers, which consume hefty amounts of energy. In 2023, the MIT Technology Review reported that one AI model can emit more than 626,00 pounds of carbon dioxide equivalent. 

“We expect our battery solutions will be used to power the explosive growth in data centers used for Artificial Intelligence,” said Wendell Brooks, co-CEO of Natron. 

“With the start of commercial-scale production here in Michigan, we are well-positioned to capitalize on the growing demand for efficient, safe, and reliable battery energy storage.”

The fast-charging energy alternative also has limitless potential on a consumer level, and Natron is eying telecommunications and EV fast-charging once it begins servicing AI data storage centers in June. 

On a larger scale, sodium-ion batteries could radically change the manufacturing and production sectors — from housing energy to lower electricity costs in warehouses, to charging backup stations and powering electric vehicles, trucks, forklifts, and so on. 

“I founded Natron because we saw climate change as the defining problem of our time,” Wessells said. “We believe batteries have a role to play.”

-via GoodGoodGood, May 3, 2024

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Note: I wanted to make sure this was legit (scientifically and in general), and I'm happy to report that it really is! x, x, x, x

[kayrukitsune]

I know he's practically dead and we need younger candidates, but I really hope more people learn and understand exactly how much good Biden's administration has done with their time for energy and climate work in the US. Check out the absolute explosion of work done at any of the major DOE national labs in the past couple years. We have a long way to go, but this should be the bar we never go under again.

Don't usually share work stuff but I do work in climate policy and nearly every memo I write includes some variation of "government funding for this obscure but necessary area of climate mitigation research has been multiplied (sometimes by like, 1000x) under the Biden Administration" and while I know the oil permitting stuff is much splashier news there's a whole world of work that needs to be done under the surface that Biden is doing. And if he doesn't win in 2024 all that progress goes away and the climate is absolutely fucked

[teachanarchy]

Watch "People Are Trying to Get Rich From a New ‘Gold Rush’" on YouTube

[ianmiller42]

How to Beat the Potential Lithium Shortage?

By now, lithium is probably recognized as a useful material and is considered to be critical for dealing with climate change. A recent  paper in Nature (vol 616, 245) discussed some of the issues. In 2018, demand for lithium was about 55,000 t/a, by 2025 it is expected to reach 150,000 – 190,000 t/a, and by 2100 it could reach 700,000 t/a. The IEA predicts that by 2030, only about half of what is…

[seat-safety-switch]

Bicycles kick a lot of ass these days. When I was a kid, a bicycle would only go as fast as you could pedal. Maybe, if you were really a huge asshole, you could take the bus to the big city and buy one of those mini-moped kits from a motorcycle shop. Then you could break playground-zone speed limits with enough two-stroke burble and pop to arouse every police officer within thirty miles.

Nowadays, you can slap some Chinese-made wonder magic on your Norco and do three or four horsepower without even knowing how to solder. In fact, it's much better if you don't know anything about electronics, because that level of knowledge will prevent you from extracting the maximum value out of your investment of "some vape batteries" and "a motor I found on Amazon whose name YouTube can't consistently pronounce." Electrical engineers are just too damn afraid of fire to go really fast.

Sure, you have to show fealty to the all-knowing microcontroller inside the magic motor box. Pinky-swear to it that you live in the hypothetical lawless wonderland that would allow you to have this much wheel-bending, mind-melting torque on a public pedestrian pathway. Honestly, it's its own fault if it believes a shifty character such as yourself. Not that the local cops are going to pull over Bob Tongsheng on his way to deposit your money in his bank, either. It's this kind of primitive hot-rodding that once made this country great: neglecting the existence or worth of anyone and everything outside of your vehicle in lieu of Go Fast.

Sure, this sort of thing will only last for awhile. Pathways are already filling up with lots of zingy e-mopeds and e-deathscoots, ridden by perfectly normal people. Your 1500-watt stealth bomber build is going to get pulled on by a pensioner within a year or two, as the market begins to demand enough cargo room (and rollover protection!) to do a once-a-month Costco run with the entire fam in tow. Inevitably, the cops are going to have to crack down on the whole deal, too.

For a glorious, shining moment, you too can dig a rusty mountain bike out of a creek and have it doing 50 miles an hour by watching a YouTube video. That's something previous generations simply could not have imagined. Which is their loss, really. If they had gotten off their asses earlier and figured out the lithium-ion battery, we could all be driving $100 50-horsepower ebikes right now instead of having to pay Big Battery for the "latest and greatest" in burning your garage down.

[thenot-so-polite-canadian]

I might be wrong, but I think this person might be gesturing at the problems with critical mineral supply chains. Batteries require cobalt and lithium, and various other rare earth minerals, and currently the mining of these minerals is an ongoing ethical horror.

Is there any way to stop climate change without keeping the third world in poverty and unable to develop?

These two things seem totally unrelated to me. Like, an equivalent question would be "is there any way to stop climate change without feeding babies into the Giant Baby Smashing Machine?" and I would say, yes? There absolutely is? Are we feeding babies into the giant baby smashing machine? If so we should stop that.

AIUI China has been making phenomenal strides building nuclear power and rolling out EVs, and the US has experienced a massive expansion of renewables thanks in large part to the Biden administration working to reduce capital costs. It's sort of both the best of times and the worst of times in the fight against climate change--but then, that is almost true by definition, since rising CO2 levels will mean rising global temperatures until the fight is actually won. IIRC China's emissions are expected to basically plateau in the near future and then begin declining after that? So that's a huge win right there.

The great thing about renewable tech is that once you develop efficient solar/wind and efficient battery storage (and we've made huge progress on the batteries thing in the last several years, apparently; grid-scale battery storage is quickly becoming a reality), you can export the tech to other countries. So if developed countries can decarbonize, I don't know why developing countries couldn't.

[amons-hat-enthusiast]

A petition to stop Rio Tinto’s mine from destroying Serbia’s nature

"We call upon you to prohibit extractive mining projects and metal processing in the Jadar Valley in Serbia.

In particular, we demand that you cancel the proposed Rio Tinto lithium mine in Loznica. We demand that you protect the biodiversity, fertile ground, farming villages and rich cultural areas.

Serbia’s most fertile land can be found in the beautiful Jadar Valley. Small family farmers grow raspberries and plums, engage in beekeeping and sheep and goat herding. The valley borders mountains, is surrounded by water and home to thousands of sustainable multi-generational farms.

But instead of protecting it, the Serbian government has approved a project with multinational mining corporation Rio Tinto, for the exploitation of “Jadarite”, a lithium ore in the valley. The government and the company have ignored scientists and mining experts who advise vehemently against the mine and are threatening to cause irreparable damage to the water, land, air and it’s people. Local citizens, who do not want to give up their sustainable agricultural land which has been in their families for generations, are being ignored.

The process of separating chemically stable lithium from jadarite ore involves the use of concentrated sulfuric acid. The process would take place 20 km from the Drina River and use 300 cubic meters of water every hour, while the chemically treated water would be returned to the Jadar River.

The outpouring of inevitably polluted water, as well as underground waters which contain arsenic, mercury and lead, would contaminate entire river basins and continue their journey across the Jadar to the Drina and Sava, polluting not only Serbia's but other countries' water sources as well.

We reject the pollution of the air. Treatment with the above mentioned (and additional) aggressive acids produces toxic gases that can spread within a radius of over ten kilometers and which will corrode the skin and lungs of humans and animals.

We reject the endangerment of the population around the Jadar Valley in the interests of a multinational corporate profit. Rio Tinto has promised 700 new jobs, but forgot to mention that 19,000 people are set to be displaced or severely effected.

Rio Tinto in 2020, destroyed a 45,000 year old sacred Australian Aboriginal cave. The company and its representatives have been repeatedly convicted of fraud and paid billions of dollars in damages and fines for illegal destruction of land, but continue to ravage and destroy natural environment around the world. The company is accused of participating in war crimes in Papua New Guinea, where a ten-year civil war broke out due to the presence of their mine.

The citizens of Serbia have the right to clean air, clean water and healthy living conditions. Stop Rio Tinto’s lithium mine and protect the people, our heritage, our environment and the rivers of the Jadar Valley. United we can save our environment."

https://action.wemove.eu/sign/2023-03-stop-rio-tinto-EN?akid=s1568260..uAF-ha

The text above explains the situation. This is a very important petition and I'd be very grateful if you could sign it and spread it.

(I see that only people from European countries can sign it, others please reblog for this to reach as many people as possible)

[literallymechanical]

Breeding blankets for fusion reactors

So, barring a few ambitious projects involving helium-3, fusion reactor power plants will use hydrogen isotopes as fuel: a 50/50 mixture of deuterium (hydrogen-2) and tritium (hydrogen-3). Deuterium is very stable and relatively abundant, as far as these things go, and can be extracted from ordinary seawater.  Tritium, however, has a half life of just over 12 years, so it doesn't occur in nature.

Fortunately, you can use your fusion reactor to synthesize its own tritium fuel, via the transmutation of lithium-6. You use the powerful neutron flux from the fusion plasma to “breed” tritium in lithium, extract it, then feed it back into the reactor. The figure of merit for this process is the tritium breeding ratio (TBR), which is simply the ratio of tritium bred to tritium used. The goal is to get a TBR substantially greater than 1.

This figure shows the physics of tritium breeding, where neutrons from the deuterium-tritium fusion plasma are absorbed by lithium, which then splits into helium and tritium. [source]

Generally speaking, most concepts for tritium breeding involve wrapping a lithium “breeding blanket” around the outside of the reactor, with as few gaps as you can manage. A deuterium-tritium reactor is constantly generating fast neutrons. You want to keep as much of that emission as possible inside the breeding blanket, for both tritium and power generation.

There are a few different ideas for breeding blanket designs, several of which are going to be tested on ITER, the massive reactor being built in France. One concept is a thick sheath of lithium ceramic that surrounds the vessel, either as solid slabs or pebbles.  As tritium breeding occurs under the blanket, water or liquid helium is circulated through it, cooling the lithium and potentially extracting heat for electricity generation.

While such a blanket might be relatively “simple” (lol) to build, there are some pretty fundamental challenges. Neutrons will penetrate most materials with ease, and it might be tricky to extract tritium that's been bred deep inside of solid lithium.  Ideally, you could do the extraction without pause, even as breeding is ongoing. For some designs, though, you have to cycle out breeder units for harvesting as they get a full load of tritium.

Another concept is “liquid breeding." This concept uses a molten mixture of metallic lithium and lead, or a lithium salt compound like FLiBe (fluorine-lithium-beryllium). The liquid would be pumped through a “breeding zone” around the vessel, where the neutron flux is thickest. The tritium will then be continuously extracted from the breeding fluid as it flows back out.  As part of the process, you can run the hot liquid through a heat exchanger, heating water to power a steam turbine. 

Liquid breeding does raise some prominent engineering challenges. Hot, molten breeding fluid will be very hard to handle – not just because of the heat, but also because you're trying to pump a massive quantity of viscous fluid into a very tight breeding zone. Moreover, molten lithium-lead might react explosively with air. If your breeding system springs a leak, you’ll have a serious mess on your hands!

It’s still unclear which of these breeding strategies will bear fruit. From conception to implementation, there are still a lot of unknowns!  Both liquid and solid breeding will be conducted in France, and a number of private fusion companies have plans to breed tritium in their machines as well.