Lithium - the Metal of the Future?

摘要

The second half of the twentieth century saw a dramatic shift in lithium chemicals production from traditional pegmatite sources to brines. Today, the bulk of lithium carbonate, which serves as the raw material for various downstream lithium chemicals, including lithium metal for the lithium batteries, is produced from the brines of the Salar de Atacama, Chile, the Salar del Hombre Muerto, Argentina and Clayton Valley Nevada, U.S.A. There is minor production in Tibet and the People's Republic of China (PRC). Australian spodumene concentrates are converted to lithium carbonate in the PRC. The resurgence in the potential development of electric cars has resulted in the increased exploration for and identification of potential new lithium brine operations and the reassessment of some pegmatite deposits. A number of predictions for a potentially large electric car market scenario have raised questions on the availability of sufficient lithium resources. However, since the original 1976 report on global lithium resources by the National Academies of Sciences and Engineering, newly identified deposits have almost quadrupled the total potentially available lithium resources. Based on the best predictions, the lithium supply is more than adequate to meet the demand for electric cars well into the 21st century.