Lithium is a naturally occurring metal sourced for its demand across numerous applications, especially in batteries for electric vehicles and energy storage. IDTechEx's portfolio of Advanced Materials & Critical Minerals Research Reports and Subscriptions is home to the latest research into the methods of lithium extraction and its most common applications.
A lithium overview
Lithium is a naturally occurring element which can be found in three different sources, including brine, hard rock, and sediment-hosted deposit. Brines make up almost two thirds of global lithium resources, while hard rock ore makes up 20-30% and clays and evaporites 5-10%. Despite these figures, hard rock sources account for approximately 67% of global production as high-grade lithium can be obtained from these sources, which have long been the focus of established mining processes. Only around 33% of lithium is produced from brine, with this source producing much lower grade lithium. Sediment-hosted deposits are responsible for less than 1% of global production, as these methods are not yet commercialized, according to IDTechEx's report, "Direct Lithium Extraction 2026-2036: Technologies, Players, Forecasts".
Hard rock mining and brine evaporation
Hard rock mining and brine evaporation are both mature technologies which have been commercialized, however both present different challenges which make scalability difficult. Hard rock mining has many negative environmental impacts stemming from energy intensive processes, including heavy mining operations to extract ore from the ground and extensive concentrating and refining processes necessary to produce battery-grade lithium.
Brine lithium uses large evaporation ponds which are responsible for high water and land consumption, while the process takes between one and two years and only generates a small amount of lithium. Most hard rock lithium is found in Canada, China, and Australia, while brines are mostly found in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, and China, meaning lithium production is restricted to only a few key regions which control most of the world's lithium sources. This could potentially cause supply issues for North America and Europe in particular.
Direct lithium extraction and sustainability
Direct lithium extraction (DLE) is now being explored as an alternative option to sourcing lithium from brines. DLE processes include the use of specialized lithium-selective materials such as sorbents, solvents, or membranes, which can extract lithium from brines more sustainably and more quickly, in as little as a number of hours or days, without the need for evaporation processes. IDTechEx's Direct Lithium Extraction report covers six main DLE technologies. These include adsorption, ion exchange, solvent extraction, membrane, electrochemical, and chemical precipitation. Brine DLE also has a typical lithium yield of around 80-95%, which could be over double the yield from brine evaporation.
Growing lithium demand comes as a result of the Li-ion battery industry seeing increased interest from energy storage and electric vehicle companies, which are also acting in line with sustainability goals and decarbonization regulations worldwide. While DLE uses more energy than brine evaporation, it can be more sustainable overall, with low land usage, no weather dependence, and low-medium water usage.
IDTechEx's master report, "Electric Vehicles: Land, Sea, and Air 2025-2045", covers some of the main up and coming electric vehicle technologies which would rely on Li-ion batteries, while the portfolio of Batteries & Energy Storage Research Reports and Subscriptions covers the latest energy storage trends.
For more information on lithium extraction, lithium demand, and Li-ion battery applications, visit IDTechEx's portfolios of Advanced Materials & Critical Minerals,Electric Vehicles, and Batteries & Energy Storage Research Reports and Subscriptions for the latest developments.
