Russia Rolls Out Breakthrough Technology to Produce Lithium
© Sputnik / Alexandr Kryazhev
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The most important use of lithium pertains to rechargeable batteries for mobile phones, laptops, digital cameras and electric vehicles.
Finding effective ways to develop lithium remains on the radar of Russian scientists, Ruslan Khamizov, corresponding member of Russia’s Academy of Sciences and director of the Vernadsky Institute of Geochemistry and Analytical Chemistry, told Scientific Russia magazine.
Why is it an Issue?
Extracting lithium from ores always requires large resources: both chemical reagents and ore materials.
To obtain lithium, thousands of tons of ore concentrate should be treated with sulfuric acid so that the resulting extract can be processed into lithium carbonate.
What's the New Method All About?
Russian researchers have developed a NEW RESOURCE SUFFICIENT technology to extract lithium by replacing sulfuric acid with ammonium bisulfate
During processing, this bisulfate is completely restored, and scientists can simply develop the ore ON SITE without dealing with transportation-related problems.
For example, just several kilograms of ammonium bisulfate allow them to develop tons of ore materials and obtain the relevant quantity of lithium carbonate.
Similar technology allows Russian engineers to extract lithium from liquid substances and brines.
Why is the New Technology Important?
The last lithium-extracting installation was destroyed in Russia in the mid-1990s due to speculation that there was allegedly no need to develop lithium because the country could just buy it.
Apart from being a critical element for manufacturing gadgets, lithium is of paramount importance to production of missiles and planes, adding significantly to their advanced characteristics.
26 March 2024, 10:10 GMT
