MIT scientists have developed a new lithium extraction process that is cheaper and more environmentally friendly than existing techniques. This advancement could diminish reliance on China’s lithium extraction methods, which dominate the global market.
The new process emerged from a bathroom renovation project by Professor Yet-Ming Chiang, who was inspired by a glass etching cream that dissolves silica. The team designed a liquid solution to dissolve the silica found in spodumene, the most abundant lithium-bearing mineral, and developed additional refining techniques for extracting lithium and aluminum.
This extraction process operates at room temperature and costs about half of current methods. The liquid solution can be reused multiple times, reducing waste, while any leftover material can be repurposed into useful products.
Chiang stated, “We believe this approach is the lowest-energy, lowest-cost way of getting lithium not only out of hard rock, but period. That’s what’s motivating us to scale this. It will enable the energy transition through batteries that use lithium.”
The innovation has the potential to reposition the lithium production landscape globally. Currently, extracting lithium involves heating rocks to over 1,000 degrees Celsius, a process that consumes significant energy and generates a lot of waste. China has historically absorbed the high financial and environmental costs associated with this extraction at large scales.
Chemist Camden Hunt, another researcher involved in the project, commented, “Our central thesis is if you can find an easier way to crack the rock, get lithium out, and make battery-grade lithium salts, you can change the lithium market.”
This new method opens up possibilities for enhanced lithium availability in regions like the United States, Europe, and Australia, where significant lithium reserves exist but remain underutilized due to the challenges of extraction.
