Where do lithium ion batteries come from?

The International Energy Agency indicates that China produces roughly three-quarters of lithium-ion batteries, with the last 25 per cent coming mainly from the United States, Europe, Japan and Korea. China is also responsible for over half of the world's lithium refining.

Where does lithium come from?

Some call the salt deserts in Argentina, Chile, and Bolivia the “Lithium Triangle” because they hold over 50% of the world’s lithium supply. However, Australia is the leader in production, supplying around 60% of the world’s lithium. China is also one of the world’s top producers of the element and is also the world’s leading consumer.

What is a lithium ion battery?

By the middle of the following decade the lithium-ion battery became the go-to solution for powering electronics, and demand for the element soared. Lithium is now the main component in batteries that power not just consumer electronics but also an increasing number of electric cars and stationary energy storage systems.

Can lithium be found in nature?

However, as technology and our ability to detect lithium in nature improve, we expect more deposits to become viable. Benchmark Minerals says that about 60% of all lithium extracted comes from hard rock, meaning it is mined similarly to most other metals.

What is the most important source of lithium?

Lithium-rich brine deposits are the most important source of lithium, accounting for around 60% of global reserves. Spodumene pegmatites are another important source of lithium, accounting for around 30% of global reserves. These are a type of lithium-bearing rock that is found mainly in Australia and North America.

How does lithium work?

In fact, all the lithium we use today was produced in the initial few seconds of the universe. However, lithium has the chemical vigour of eternal youth. It is extremely reactive and readily jumps into any reaction by donating an electron. It cleaves oxygen from a water molecule and leaves behind the explosively reactive hydrogen.