New Lithium Extraction Method Opens New Possibilities for Global Supply

Researchers at MIT in the United States have succeeded in extracting lithium, a key raw material for electric vehicle batteries, using a new technology that is less environmentally burdensome and more cost-effective than existing methods.

The technology, featured in the scientific journal 'Science,' is expected to help lower lithium production costs and reduce carbon emissions, according to the startup 'Rock Zero,' which is commercializing it.

The research team dissolves silicate minerals, which typically do not react, using a weak acid to extract lithium, and can also obtain useful byproducts such as alumina and silica in the process.

The team's primary target was spodumene, a mineral frequently used in lithium mining. They explained that by omitting the high-temperature heating process, a crucial step in processing spodumene ore, energy costs can be saved and carbon emissions reduced.

Professor Chengming Chiang was inspired by a weak acid called ammonium fluoride, found in glass etching cream. The researchers discovered that such weak acids can effectively dissolve silicate minerals under appropriate conditions.

Chengming Chiang, an MIT professor and co-author of the study, stated, "Once scaled, it will become the cheapest source of lithium in the world."