Ceramic could help slash lithium extraction costs by as much as 80%

Lithium battery technology is widely seen as essential for the switch from fossil fuels to an economy that can make best use of renewable energy generation. This has created massive growth in demand for lithium. Ironically, however, the present process for extracting lithium is itself unsustainable – requiring high temperatures and toxic reagents. However, researchers in China and the US have shown that incorporating a layer of a solid ceramic electrolyte into the electrochemical cell used to extract lithium helps solve several of these problems, producing much cheaper and more environmentally friendly lithium.