Photo: Matt Hardy | Unsplash
The world is looking for new sources of the lithium needed for electric car batteries, as soaring demand is expected to exhaust land-based reserves by 2080. Scientists have discovered that the oceans contain about 5,000 times more lithium than the land, though at extremely low concentrations. KAUST University researchers have now come up with a ceramic membrane made from lithium lanthanum titanium oxide (LLTO), which blocks larger metal ions and lets only lithium ions through. The three-compartment cell is able to deliver solid lithium phosphate that is pure enough to meet batteries' requirements. The pathway to more sustainable living is getting clearer with each new innovation.
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