Lithium Metal: The Key to Green Transportation

Lindagato, Philemon; Li, Yongjun; Macháček, Jan; Yang, Gaoxue; Mungwarakarama, Irénée; Ndahimana, Anastase; Ntwali, Henri Patrick Kanimba

doi:10.3390/app13010405

Cited by 10 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 76 publications

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“…The worldwide increasing demand for lithium has put the focus on salt flats, which are the main source of this element, considered strategic and fundamental in the transition to an economy less dependent on fossil fuels [1][2][3][4][5]. The construction of rechargeable, lightweight, lithium-based batteries with a high storage capacity and its demand in numerous green technologies, such as electric vehicles, turns lithium into a fundamental resource nowadays [2,[6][7][8]. The Andean highlands shared by Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile concentrates about 60% of the lithium reserves of the planet within an area known as the "Lithium Triangle".…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spaceborne Radars for Mapping Surface and Subsurface Salt Pan Configuration: A Case Study of the Pozuelos Salt Flat in Northern Argentina

Lattus,

Barber,

Skoković

et al. 2024

Remote Sensing

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Lithium mining has become a controversial issue in the transition to green technologies due to the intervention in natural basins that impact the native flora and fauna in these environments. Large resources of this element are concentrated in Andean salt flats in South America, where extraction is much easier than in other geological configurations. The Pozuelos highland salt flat, located in northern Argentina (Salta’s Province), was chosen for this study due to the presence of different evaporitic crusts and its proven economic potential in lithium-rich brines. A comprehensive analysis of a 5.5-year-long time series of its microwave backscatter with Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images yielded significant insights into the dynamics of their crusts. During a field campaign conducted near the acquisition of three SAR images (Sentinel-1, ALOS-2/PALSAR-2, and SAOCOM-1), field measurements were collected for computational modeling of the SAR response. The temporal backscattering coefficients for the crusts in the salt flat are directly linked to rainfall events, where changes in surface roughness, soil moisture, and water table depth represent the most critical variables. Field parameters were employed to model the backscattering response of the salt flat using the Small Slope Approximation (SSA) model. Salt concentration of the subsurface brine and the water table depth over the slightly to moderately roughed crusts were quantitatively derived from Bayesian inference of the ALOS-2/PALSAR-2 and SAOCOM-1 SAR backscattering coefficient data. The results demonstrated the potential for subsurface estimation with L-band dual-polarization images, constrained to crusts compatible with the feasibility range of the layered model.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spaceborne Radars for Mapping Surface and Subsurface Salt Pan Configuration: A Case Study of the Pozuelos Salt Flat in Northern Argentina

Lattus,

Barber,

Skoković

et al. 2024

Remote Sensing

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“…With the gradual progression toward peak carbon emissions and carbon neutralization by major global powers, lithium has played a key role in important low-carbon technology products, such as power batteries and energy storage, and it has become a core component in the development of new energy and metal resources [2,3]. With the rapid development of the new energy automotive industry and continuous breakthroughs in the research and development of controllable nuclear fusion technology, the significance of Li in global development is increasingly being highlighted, and its strategic position continues to improve [4]. Hence, Li is known as "white oil", an "energy metal", or a "high-energy metal" [5][6][7].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characterization and Resource Potential of Li in the Clay Minerals of Mahai Salt Lake in the Qaidam Basin, China

Pan,

Chen,

et al. 2023

Sustainability

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The strategic importance of lithium in global development has become increasingly prominent due to the rapid growth of the new energy automotive industry and the continuous advancements in controllable nuclear fusion technology. Lithium minerals in salt lakes possess advantageous characteristics, such as abundant reserves, environmental sustainability, and economic viability. Furthermore, with ongoing improvements in the lithium extraction process, the availability of lithium minerals in salt lakes is expected to further increase. The Qaidam Basin Salt Lake in China has served as the location for the establishment of numerous lithium carbonate production enterprises, resulting in a lithium carbonate production volume of 7 × 104 t/yr in 2022. How to meet the growing need for lithium resources has become an enterprise focus. Nevertheless, there are large amounts of clay minerals in and around the bottom and periphery of the salt lake in the Qaidam Basin, and whether these minerals are of exploitable value, regardless of the state of the occurrence of lithium resources, remains unexplored. To ascertain the attributes, extent, and distribution of the lithium occurrence within the clayey layer of the Qaidam Basin, as well as to assess its resource potential, a total of 87 drill holes were conducted within a designated area of the Mahai Basin, which is a secondary basin in the Qaidam Basin. The subsequent analysis encompassed the examination of the lithium content within the clay minerals, the mineral composition of the clay, and, ultimately, the evaluation of the resource potential within the region. Compared with Quaternary salt lake deposits, brine deposits in gravel pores, and the Paleogene–Neogene Li-bearing salt deposits that have been studied, it is suggested that this is a novel form of a clay-type sedimentary Li deposit within the Qaidam Basin. The findings of this research will serve as a fundamental basis for future endeavors pertaining to the exploration and exploitation of lithium deposits within salt lake areas.

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“…The industrial importance of lithium compounds is growing due to the development of electromobility and advanced energy storage systems [1][2][3]. More than 70% of all produced lithium is used in the manufacturing of Li-ion batteries for electronics and electric vehicles [4].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Study of the Structure and Infrared Spectra of LiF, LiCl and LiBr Using Density Functional Theory (DFT)

Chruszcz-Lipska,

Szostak,

Zborowski

et al. 2023

Materials

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The paper presents a study of the crystal structure of anhydrous halides LiF, LiCl and LiBr using density functional theory. Models composed of 125 atoms were used for this study. The theoretical values of the lattice parameters and the distribution of charges in the crystals were determined. Using the assumed models at the level of theory DFT/B3LYP/6-31+g*, the theoretical infrared spectra of lithium halides (LiF, LiCl and LiBr) were calculated for the first time. Additionally, measurements of experimental far-infrared (FIR) spectra were performed for these salts. All the obtained theoretical values were compared with experimental data obtained by us and those available in the literature.

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Lithium Metal: The Key to Green Transportation

Cited by 10 publications

References 76 publications

Spaceborne Radars for Mapping Surface and Subsurface Salt Pan Configuration: A Case Study of the Pozuelos Salt Flat in Northern Argentina

Spaceborne Radars for Mapping Surface and Subsurface Salt Pan Configuration: A Case Study of the Pozuelos Salt Flat in Northern Argentina

Characterization and Resource Potential of Li in the Clay Minerals of Mahai Salt Lake in the Qaidam Basin, China

Study of the Structure and Infrared Spectra of LiF, LiCl and LiBr Using Density Functional Theory (DFT)

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