Lithium batteries power much of our modern engineering, including smartphones, electric vehicles, pacemakers, and industrial aircraft. Unfortunately, the process of extracting lithium from the Earth can prove expensive, difficult, and environmentally taxing.
As a result, researchers at Penn State University recently developed a new technique for high-efficiency lithium extraction with reduced water and energy consumption. Published in the Chemical Engineering Journal, the study detailed the process of combining lithium-bearing minerals with sodium hydroxide in order to produce lithium sodium silicate, a compound that much more easily yields lithium when mixed with water.
"With far less energy consumption and fewer harsh chemicals than traditional methods, [the researchers'] acid-free approach can extract more than 99% of a rock's available lithium in minutes, compared to the hours of conventional extraction that produces roughly 96% of the available lithium," Tech Xplore wrote.
The team prioritized environmental and financial responsibility. Since its new method requires minimal heating, it drastically reduces the fuel-based energy consumption that goes into mining lithium.
Conventional lithium extraction methods involve either massive amounts of energy to heat up the lithium-bearing minerals or massive amounts of water to evaporate out lithium-rich brine. In the long run, both are unsustainable — especially as we rely more and more on lithium batteries on a day-to-day basis.
According to MIT, the process of mining one metric ton of lithium releases 15 metric tons of carbon dioxide. Since carbon pollution is the primary contributor to our planet's rising temperatures, leading to intensified extreme weather events, food and health insecurity, and other complications, finding ways to minimize our Earth-warming contributions is key to safeguarding our global future.
"Lithium powers the technologies that define our modern lives … but its extraction must also be financially responsible," lead researcher Mohammad Rezaee explained, per Tech Xplore. "Our research shows that we can extract lithium, and other critical minerals, more efficiently while drastically reducing energy use, greenhouse gas emissions and waste that's difficult to manage or dispose of."
The researchers' discovery was recently accepted for patent rights, per Tech Xplore, and the team is still working on scalability — that is, extending the process to materials other than lithium and applying its findings at a larger scale.
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