Ever thought deserts could be the new gold mines? 🌵💰 Well, get ready to be amazed! A groundbreaking tech developed by an Australian-Chinese team is turning the tables on lithium extraction, tapping into extreme environments like never before!
In an exciting new study, researchers from Monash University and the University of Queensland (UQ) have unveiled a super-efficient method to extract lithium directly from saltwater in China's Longmu Co Lake and Dongtai Lake. 🌊🔋
Lithium, the superstar of battery tech and clean energy, is in hot demand globally. But experts have been worried that supply might not keep up, with forecasts predicting shortages as early as 2025. 😱 What's more, up to 75% of the world's lithium-rich saltwater has been off-limits with traditional methods. Talk about untapped potential!
Enter the heroes of this story: Li Zhikao from the Monash Suzhou Research Institute in China's Jiangsu Province and Zhang Xiwang from UQ. They've pioneered an innovative nanofiltration process using EDTA (yeah, it's a mouthful: ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, but it's super cool!) to extract lithium and magnesium directly from brines. 🧪✨
Li shared that their tech achieves a whopping 90% lithium recovery from brine sources, almost doubling what traditional methods can do! 🚀 Plus, it slashes extraction time from years to mere weeks. Time is money, right?
\"High-altitude salt brine flats in places like China and Bolivia have been overlooked because of tough conditions,\" Li explained. \"In remote desert areas, you just don't have the water, chemicals, or infrastructure for conventional extraction. But with our technology, these areas can now join the lithium party!\" 🎉
And there's more good news! Instead of treating magnesium as waste, this method turns it into a high-quality product that can be sold. Talk about zero waste! 🌱
Li is confident that their tech is ready to leap from testing to full-scale industrial operations. So, who knows? The next time you're scrolling through your feed, your device might be powered by lithium extracted from some of the harshest places on Earth! 📱⚡
Reference(s):
New tech enables direct lithium extraction from extreme environments
cgtn.com
