Demand for lithium soars as electric vehicle production ramps up and energy companies build larger battery systems to support wind and solar power. But producing lithium remains a slow, environmentally costly process. A fast new lithium-extraction technique pulls it directly from salty underground brines using a temperature-sensitive solvent, avoiding giant evaporation ponds that can take years and drain precious water supplies. The method works on low-quality lithium sources current technologies struggle to use.
www.engineering.columbia.edu/about/news/new-method-unlock-vast-lithium-stores