Formation
- Lithium is a chemical element with atomic number 3.
- It is a soft alkali metal with a silvery-white appearance.
- This is the lightest metal and least weighted solid element.
- This alkali metal is highly weightless, although very flammable and highly reactive (USGS.gov, 2019).
- Lithium must be stored in inert liquid and is held in vacuums or static solutions such as kerosene.
- Lithium presents a glowing luster rapidly corroded by air on the first cut to a dark silver, black tarnish.
Exploration
- Lithium is commonly used in batteries and is a critical resource with increasing electric vehicles, cell phones, and solar power systems.
- Mineral enriched brines provide a vast array of hydrogeological challenges for exploration, characterization, and quantifying deposits of minerals resources and reserves according to industry standards.
- Deposits can be enhanced from minerals resources to mineral reserves by experts.
- Accurate estimates depend on the spatial differences of fluid density and dissolved mineral concentration, including investigations that occur before, during, and after the mining period (USGS.gov, 2019).
- Once extracted, it is essential to determine the hydraulic parameters of a host aquifer and the potential to dilute the mineral deposits during extraction using freshwater sources.
- From a hydrogeology perspective, the processing works can include field surveys and evaluations of extraction wells generally used to produce brine.
Extraction
- There are various methods of extracting lithium.
- Battery-grade lithium: mining and acid leaching spodumene ores to produce lithium sulfate solution.
- Concentrate and precipitate as lithium carbonates from brine solutions through evaporation ponds
- Lithium absorption from saline water through an ion-exchange type material or beads before releasing through flushing with hydrochloric acid.
- Emerging methods include water refining technology. Generally, a brine concentration through chemical conversion procedures changes the form of lithium before washing and final crystallization.
- Direct lithium extraction operates differently by increasing the concentration of lithium chloride solution to convert to battery-grade lithium carbonates solids.
Processing
- For the highest quality lithium and yields, the primary target is impurities to precipitate lithium forms selectively.
- A combination of chemical conversion processes and robust ceramic ultrafiltration to derive precise, pre-packaged, and automated chemical processing (USGS.gov, 2019).
- A salt maker evaporator crystallizer concentrates the lithium brine and crystallizes solid battery-grade lithium hydroxide from the solution.
- Scale senses provide real-time measurements of specific ions, such as calcium, enabling enhanced process control that boosts purity and yield.
Use
- Lithium has no significant biological findings due to its toxic effects.
- The primary application of lithium is rechargeable batteries, including digital technologies, laptops, mobile phones, and even electric vehicles.
- Lithium also works in various non-rechargeable batteries, like heart pacemakers.
- Lithium is molded into alloys alongside magnesium and aluminum to increase their strength. Lithium alloys are vital for light aircraft, high-speed trains.
- Lithium is also used in unique glass ceramics because it has one of the best-known hygroscopic properties.
Waste/ Recycling
- Lithium products such as batteries comprise different chemicals, and improper disposals can have adverse outcomes, including environmental pollution and loss of resources.
- Its high reactivity makes it challenging to control. For instance, an exothermic reaction can originate high temperature, high charging voltage, short circuit, or heavy strain, increasing the risks for a rapid-fire (Jacoby, 2019).
- Disposal should be done by listed treatment facilities at household e-waste collection points or recycling drop-off points.
- Lifecycle services support safe electronic recycling and include outsourcing for dismantling, sorting, and material recovery of devices and batteries.
References
Jacoby, M. (2019). It’s time to get serious about recycling lithium-ion batteries. Chemical & Engineering News. https://cen.acs.org/materials/energy-storage/time-serious-recycling-lithium/97/i28
USGS.gov. (2019). Interior releases 2018’s final list of 35 minerals deemed critical to U.S. national security and the economy. USGS.gov | Science for a changing world. https://www.usgs.gov/news/interior-releases-2018-s-final-list-35-minerals-deemed-critical-us-national-security-and