About
Lithium

All lithium is not created equal.
Hydroxide vs Carbonate

There are two forms of lithium that can be used in electric vehicles and lithium-ion batteries, lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide. Currently the demand for Lithium Hydroxide for batteries is increasing and projected to far outstrip demand for Lithium Carbonate by 2030.

So, the first question may be, where does lithium come from? Lithium comes from Zinnwaldite ore or spodumene ore via hard rock mining, or from metallic brines stored in man-made ponds in the high deserts around the world, South America primarily.

Generally speaking, when brine is the source material, water has been pumped into the earth, usually in a very remote location, to create a brine that is captured in storage ponds. Over the course of 18-24 months, in ideal conditions, natural evaporation occurs, and the resulting material is lithium carbonate. Through an additional chemical process, the carbonate can be converted into lithium hydroxide.

The most energy intensive alternative to a brine operation is the hard rock mining of spodumene ore. Once the ore is mined, a concentrate is created where the lithium-infused spodumene is filtered and captured. The Spodumene concentrate is then put through two high temperature roast cycles and this roasted concentrate then goes to a chemical processing operation where the hydroxide is produced.

The least energy intensive alternative to a brine operation is the underground mining of Zinnwaldite ore. Once the ore is mined, a concentrate is created where the lithium-infused Zinnwaldite is filtered and captured. The Zinnwaldite concentrate is then put through a single medium temperature roast cycle and this roasted Zinnwaldite concentrate then goes to a chemical processing operation where the hydroxide is produced.

The benefits of Zinnwaldite ore are numerous. Its strategic abundance in Europe, and at the Cinovec Lithium Project which is the largest hard rock lithium resource in Europe, specifically, creates easier access, and lowers overall production costs across the supply chain. The energy requirements to produce Lithium Hydroxide from Zinnwaldite are reduced when compared to spodumene due tot the single medium temperature roast. further it’s also not subject to weather as a means of production, which allows for greater certainty of supply and control of production.