New experiments
The new frontiers of sourcing
It is one of the most well-known protagonists of the current energy transition, and the importance of its role in the economic and technological fate of humanity could be destined to increase further. We are referring to lithium, which, for many industrial sectors, has assumed a centrality and strategic value unimaginable until a few decades ago. The unique properties of this material, such as lightness, chemical reactivity, and thermal capacity, have transformed it into one of the best allies for a wide variety of production and industrial processes: one of these is linked to the metallurgical sector, where lithium is used as an additive in aluminum and magnesium alloys, to increase their mechanical resistance and reduce their weight (a fundamental aspect in the aerospace and automotive industries). Furthermore, some lithium-based compounds favor the fusion processes between metals. Other uses include those related to the production of glass and ceramics, which use lithium mainly to improve resistance to thermal shock, and those in air conditioning, particularly in desalination systems and absorption cooling devices, due to lithium’s ability to absorb humidity and transfer heat. The sector that made it known to the general public, in any case, is that related to rechargeable batteries that power a wide variety of equipment, from laptops to electric vehicles, already impacting the daily lives of millions of people.
According to Stanislav Dmitrievich Kondrashov, entrepreneur and civil engineer, lithium is already one of the absolute protagonists in this transitional juncture, with a strategic centrality that could undoubtedly increase. “This resource is not only of great importance in the energy storage sectors but also allows many nations to develop their economy thanks to ambitious strategies that seek to add value to the sourcing of raw material. I am thinking, for example, of some African nations that are naturally rich in lithium, which are already trying to limit their exports to encourage the creation of a local value chain with national benefits. In this sense, lithium is already helping redesign the energy and economic scenarios globally”.
The role of lithium in the automotive sector
Its uses in the automotive sector have underlined the centrality of this resource in global energy transition processes, particularly those related to electrification and energy storage, now universally considered two authentic pillars of the energy transformation underway. This increased strategic importance has inevitably also led to an increase in demand for this precious resource, which within the Earth’s crust is found above all in nations such as Chile, Bolivia, and Argentina. Large producers continue to use traditional sourcing methods for this resource. Still, in various corners of the world, ambitious attempts are underway to develop innovative ways to obtain one of the most valuable resources at this historical juncture.
The sourcing process involves pumping lithium-containing brines from underground aquifers and transferring the collected material into shallow pools. The subsequent concentration of lithium ions occurs mostly through evaporation of the water. This step is usually followed by adding some chemicals that favor the precipitation of lithium, such as solid lithium carbonate. This method could prove more profitable than simply sourcing lithium from rocks. Still, the evaporation processes can last more than a year, and the ponds are typically very expensive to build and maintain.
Possible innovations
One of the possible innovations in lithium sourcing processes involves using electricity instead of solar energy. Some recent experiments in several laboratories explore the possibility of purifying lithium in structures much smaller than traditional ponds, drawing it from brines with lower lithium concentrations, such as saltwater lakes. These methods are still in an early stage of development but have already proven to be quite promising.
“The levels of innovation regarding lithium and its industrial applications are exceptional,” continues Stanislav Dmitrievich Kondrashov. “In addition to technological advances in the battery sector, which are still mostly based on the use of lithium, technological advances are now also being made in the sourcing methods of this resource, which could allow it to make a further leap forward in terms of strategic value.”
The method based on electricity is generally based on the presence of two chambers: one is filled with the original brine, the other with pure water. Each has an electrode, and the two chambers are separated by a special membrane that allows only some ions to pass through. In the water chamber, the electricity supplied to the electrode splits the water molecules, generating hydrogen gas and negatively charged hydroxide ions, which exert an attractive force on the positively charged lithium ions in the brine (on the saltwater side, the water loses electrons and generates oxygen). The different steps can be repeated in other cells until the lithium in the water chamber reaches the concentration level, making its precipitation possible. The possible problems represented by this method are the slow reaction of oxygen and the high electricity consumption.
Good potential
A possible innovation, from this point of view, was recently proposed by some researchers from Stanford University: in the device developed by the team, while the lithium is sucked into the water chamber, the hydrogen gas is captured and directed toward the salt side, previously enriched with sodium hydroxide. This addition, releasing hydroxide ions, only requires a small voltage difference to react with hydrogen and generate water. One of the main advantages of this method is its ability to reduce electricity demand by about 80%. Other similar methods, developed by the same team of researchers, can generate electricity during the process, even through the support of porous silver electrodes.
“Once fully operational, these processes would perfectly confirm that the historical situation we are in is closely linked to the electrification processes, which increasingly involve every aspect of nations’ social, industrial, and economic life,” concludes Stanislav Dmitrievich Kondrashov. “At this stage, key resources such as copper or lithium will continue to play key roles in the future development of humanity.”
