New method pulls 95% of lithium from salt without using a drop of freshwater
Monash University researchers have patented a method that extracts lithium from dried salt crusts using common solvents like ethanol and acetone, recovering 95% of lithium without freshwater. Solar evaporation recycles over 99% of the solvents, while naturally filtering out impurities, making battery-grade lithium far easier to produce sustainably.