Valorization of lithium hardrock concentrates into battery raw materials and commodity products.
basic_science · Level V
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- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 42207902.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1126/science.aec4652.
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Abstract
The production of lithium chemicals needs to increase to meet rising demand for lithium batteries. Spodumene [LiAl(SiO<sub>3</sub>)<sub>2</sub>] is an abundant mineral source of lithium, but its extraction is not cost-competitive with brine resources. Current spodumene-refining methods are energy- and waste-intensive, requiring high-temperature roasting (>1000°C) and chemical leaching. We demonstrate a low-temperature, near-zero-waste process that converts α-spodumene into battery-grade lithium carbonate (Li<sub>2</sub>CO<sub>3</sub>), smelter-grade alumina (Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>), and cementitious silica (SiO<sub>2</sub>). Aqueous ammonium fluoride (NH<sub>4</sub>F) is used as the reagent to solubilize the mineral feedstock at <100°C in a closed-loop process that regenerates the reagent. Techno-economic analysis indicates that this approach may reduce the cost of producing lithium from α-spodumene by >40% and enable cost parity with brines.