4.03 Investigating Lithium

Lithium (Li) is a chemical element with atomic number 3.

• Soft, silvery metal element

• Found in underground mineral deposits

• Essential for rechargeable batteries

Lithium is used in:

• Electric Vehicles

• Renewable Energy Storage

• Consumer Electronics

Critical question: What happens when we run out of lithium?

Where is the largest amount of lithium found?

Open pit mining is the primary method used to extract lithium from underground deposits.

Workers use explosives to blast away rock layers, then heavy machinery removes the ore-rich material. The extracted lithium ore is processed and refined into usable lithium for batteries.

What are some advantages and disadvantages of open pit mining?

Brine mining is an alternative method used to extract lithium from salt flats in South America.

Workers pump salt-rich underground water (brine) to the surface and let it evaporate in shallow ponds over several months. As the water evaporates, lithium and other minerals are left behind and collected.

What are some advantages and disadvantages of brine mining?

Lithium mining requires many resources, some that can be replenished during a human's lifetime (renewable) and some that need millions of years to reform (nonrenewable).

Identify each of these resources as renewable or nonrenewable.

Which statement would an electric vehicle manufacturer most likely agree with?

Which statement would a farmer in Argentina whose water supply is being depleted by lithium mining most likely agree with?

What happens when a nonrenewable resource is completely depleted?

Sustainable resource use means extracting resources at a rate that allows them to be replenished naturally, so they're available for future generations.

How could lithium mining become more sustainable?

Is mining lithium for renewable energy technology worth the environmental damage? Explain why in your own words.

What is the main concern of local communities about lithium extraction in the Atacama?

How is lithium obtained from underground deposits?

What is the Chilean government's position about increasing lithium production?

What alternative technology does the company describe as a possible way to reduce water impact?

What is the main concern of the local biologist (Fabiola) about reinjecting water into the subsurface?

According to the local biologist (Fabiola), how can we best combat climate change?