News Arkansas might be home to around 19 million tons of lithium — researchers use machine learning to quantify lithium abundance in the Smackover Forma...

[Admin]

A study conducted by the USGS estimates that Arkansas's Lithium reserves could be 9x more than the projected global Lithium demand for EVs in 2030.

Arkansas might be home to around 19 million tons of lithium — researchers use machine learning to quantify lithium abundance in the Smackover Forma... : Read more

 

[Notton]

By the time whatever entity gets a Lithium mine, processor, and refinery up and running, I expect Sodium-Ion to have replaced Lithium-Ion batteries.

 

[Eximo]

By the time whatever entity gets a Lithium mine, processor, and refinery up and running, I expect Sodium-Ion to have replaced Lithium-Ion batteries.

Only for some applications, hopefully stationary ones.

Don't expect power density miracles from any up and coming battery technologies. Always some lab breakthrough and or theoretical limit that doesn't end up making as huge an impact as they predict. The time it takes to bring costs down on new manufacturing processes also takes time while the Lithium NMC and LiFePO manufacturers have decades behind them. Not like research has stopped there either.

Also the issue of scaling up a new battery technology. Sure cheaper to make a Sodium Ion today, but once there are MWhs of batteries being produced, there may be a new scarcity that increases production costs.

Solid state batteries have shown some promise as a direct replacement for typical Lithium Ion. But major production is still some years off. I believe you can already get some laptop batteries though.

 

[Geef]

I know of a great way to generate power. No need for new battery storage. It is known as the Wheel of Pain and can be run in any weather day or night. It also makes huge dudes like Arnold.

 

[jg.millirem]

What kind of environmental horrors would this extraction unleash?

 

[Datahound6]

Glancing at the map, it seems likely that the Smackover formation extends into the Gulf of Mexico just offshore of the Florida panhandle. This may prove to be an ideal location for brine extraction -- few neighbors to NIMBY (20 miles offshore?) and the surplus brine can be simply dumped overboard from any processing facility.

 

[Dementoss]

The Smackover Formation is a vast and permeable limestone aquifer—a formation of porous limestone rock that can carry water

Limestone is water soluble, it is always full of cracks, holes, caves and underground rivers. I grew-up on The Mendip Hills in the West of England. They are limestone and, riddled with holes...

 

[BFG-9000]

Only for some applications, hopefully stationary ones.

Don't expect power density miracles

Incredibly, you can already buy Sodium-Ion for very reasonable prices from Dongguan GoKWh. Sure, power density is a bit lower than LiFePO4 but look at those $50 motorcycle batteries which can be direct replacements for lead-acid in many climates.

This is only possible because you can charge Sodium-Ion down to -10°C/14°F. EVs using lithium chemistry have to run a heater until the cells are all above 0°C/32°F before they will begin charging, greatly extending charge times in subzero weather. And there are of course many stationary applications where the heater requirement would waste many of the limited hours of solar you can get in the winter. With demand for batteries projected to rise rapidly, any alternative allows lithium to be reserved for more high-performance uses.

What kind of environmental horrors would this extraction unleash?

As with oil, the most easily extracted forms are obviously collected first before you resort to more difficult ones like shale oil or this brine. And fracking is commonly used to extract brine from deep rock so expect the usual earthquakes and aquifer contamination.