A new breakthrough in lithium separation could help overcome major challenges in extracting this essential battery material. A new technology developed at The University of Texas at Austin could make...

The efficient and selective extraction of lithium ions from aqueous media is crucial for resource recovery, yet remains challenging due to the chemical similarity of coexisting alkali ions, such as so...

To achieve high purity and selectivity in lithium-ion extraction, using ceramic membranes that are selective to lithium is ideal, and titania can be employed as a protective layer on the gas diffusio....

This Idea Could End Europe’s Out-of-Control Resource Consumption

Penn State researchers have unveiled a novel lithium extraction method that is faster, more efficient, and environmentally friendly, potentially reshaping the future of clean energy technologies.

Researchers at MIT, working alongside collaborators, have introduced a new method for extracting lithium from hard rock deposits that could significantly reduce both cost and environmental impact. Traditional lithium extraction from mineral ores typically involves heating rock to temperatures exceeding 1,000 degrees Celsius, followed by chemical leaching processes. This approach is energy-intensive, expensive, and generates substantial waste, as most of the processed rock is discarded after lithium extraction. The MIT-developed technique replaces this conventional process with a low-temperature, closed-loop chemical method. It uses a specialized liquid reagent to dissolve lithium-bearing minerals, breaking them down into their usable components. Importantly, the process not only yields battery-grade lithium salts but also recovers other valuable materials such as smelter-grade alumina and cement-ready silica, which can be reused in industrial applications. This multi-output approach helps minimize waste and improves overall resource efficiency. A key advantage of the system is that the solvent and reagents used in the extraction can be recovered and recycled, allowing the process to operate with near-zero waste output. According to the researchers, the method could cut production costs by roughly half compared to conventional hard rock lithium extraction. They also suggest it could become competitive with lithium production from brine sources, which are currently among the lowest-cost methods. The project’s lead researcher, MIT materials scientist Yet-Ming Chiang, has described the approach as potentially the lowest-energy and lowest-cost method for obtaining lithium from any source. The work aligns with broader efforts at MIT focused on accelerating technologies that can transition from laboratory research to commercial-scale deployment within a relatively short timeframe. The findings have been published in the journal Science and are being positioned as a possible breakthrough in supporting the growing demand for lithium in batteries used for electric vehicles and renewable energy storage systems.

The world's race to decarbonise has led to the rise of electric cars - and with it, soaring demand for lithium, which is required for the batteries

If it scales up, it can help us diversify our sources of a key element.

Startup Rock Zero is commercializing the research, which could cut costs and carbon emissions from lithium production.

This is today’s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology. This company is planning a lithium empire from the shores...

Custom electrodialysis setup. Credit: Jorge Vidal/Rice University A new membrane marks an important step toward more efficient extraction of lithium which is needed for reusable batteries. The design...

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An experimental new method for extracting lithium from brine and even seawater promises to be more sustainable than existing methods

a) Schematic diagram of λ-MnO2 bandgap modulation. b) MnPE enables selective lithium ions capture and freshwater extraction simultaneously. Credit: Yang et al 2025 With the global demand for lithium...