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Chile's Atacama salt flat is sinking at a rate of 1 to 2 centimeters (0.4 to 0.8 inches) per year due to lithium brine extraction, according to a study by the University of Chile. The study used ...
Brine mining is the extraction of useful materials (chemical elements or compounds) which are naturally dissolved in brine.The brine may be seawater, other surface water, groundwater, or hyper-saline solutions from several industries (e.g., textile industries). [1]
The brine contains lithium, a silvery white metal essential for making electric vehicle batteries and in high demand as the world shifts to green energy. French miner Eramet is attempting to use ...
At more than 3,700 meters (12,000 feet) above sea level, the "karachi" swims happily in dense salt flat waters, but locals worry a future lithium project will endanger this extreme-environment fish.
Lithium concetrations in the brines of the Salar de Atacama vary with geographical position and depth. [17] The brines distanced from the northern and eastern rims of the salt flat —that is the "core" (Spanish: núcleo del salar)— have the highest lithium concentration of any salt flat in the Lithium Triangle.
There is some capacity to convert the carbonate to lithium hydroxide in Salar de Carmen. 2019 revenues from lithium were $505mio. [13] In 2021, the lithium revenues were US$936.1 million. [15] The process involves pumping up lithium rich brine from below the ground into shallow pans. Water is evaporated thanks to the strong sun and dry air. [16]
Salt evaporation ponds produce salt from seawater. [4] Evaporation ponds are used to extract lithium from underground brine solution. The extracted Lithium is then used to make ion batteries. [5] [3] Mines use them to separate ore from water. The ore can be sold for use in different industries.
There are concerns that lithium producers are drawing too much lithium-rich brine, or saltwater, from pools beneath the Atacama, the world's driest desert. A water fight in Chile's Atacama raises ...