Are extraterrestrial bodies a potential reservoir of lithium?

Several countries are looking towards the potential extraterrestrial bodies as potential reservoirs of several minerals including lithium needed to meet the demand for renewable energy and energy storage technologies in a low-carbon economy (Dallas et al., 2021).

Why is lithium important?

Lithium, and Li-containing compounds and alloys are critical to several key technologies such as lithium-ion batteries which power all our modern electronic gadgets to electric vehicles, and lightweight structural alloys used for aircraft (Wanhill, 2014).

What are the applications of lithium?

The major application of lithium has been in transportation (e.g., hybrid and electric vehicles, electric scooters, e-bikes), and stationary power storage systems for intermittent energy sources (e.g., solar or wind) (Michelini et al., 2023, Ralls et al., 2023).

Which is the most important lithium ore mineral?

Due to its high lithium content, spodumene is considered as the most important lithium ore mineral. Jadarite, LiNaSiB3 O 7(OH), is a new mineral species that was discovered during mineral exploration in the Jadar Basin in Serbia (Stanley et al., 2007).

Where is lithium stored?

For this reason, Li is stored in an inert atmosphere such as pure kerosene or mineral oil, or under a vacuum (Szlugaj and Bak, 2022). With an average crustal abundance of 25 ppm, lithium (Li) is the 25th most abundant element in the Earth’s crust (Taylor and McLennan, 1985). Lithium is found in a variety of rocks, clays, and brines.

How many lithium ores are there in the oceans?

It has been estimated that the oceans contain ∼230 billion tons of lithium reserves which is ∼9,000 times more than onshore ores which is ∼26 million tons (Yang et al., 2018, Geological Survey and Summaries, 2023) thereby providing an almost unlimited resource of lithium for meeting the rapid growth in demand for lithium batteries.