Challenging the traceability of natural gold by combining geochemical methods: French Guiana example

Abstract

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Tracing the origin of lithium in Li-ion batteries using lithium isotopes

“…Such certification would be in accordance with the recent EU regulation for responsible and sustainable sourcing of several other raw materials, such as tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold, and the consumers’ interest in sustainable products. The principle of this analytical method is the same as that used for the traceability of gold and coltan 28 , 29 , which verifies whether the product corresponds to its declared origin by comparing the sample in question with reference samples of known origin stored in a database. As the Li isotopic signature is conserved from lithium salt to the battery, it is possible to develop this control along the value chain.…”

“…This method helps verify and audit the blockchain, thus ensuring its control. It was developed for the coltan supply chain 28 and, more recently, for native gold from French Guiana 29 . Lithium (Li) has two stable isotopes, 6 Li and 7 Li, with relative abundances of 7.6% and 92.4%, respectively.…”