From New Atlas, August 4:
Earth's 'kryptonite twin' could power a million EVs, but it's still out of reach
With a chemical formula nearly identical to fictional kryptonite, unique mineral jadarite has the potential to power a million electric vehicles each year. But it remains firmly underground, beneath a picturesque valley in rural Serbia – the only place it's been found – more than 20 years after it was discovered.
You may not have heard of jadarite, but it's been at the center of an international battle since exploratory mining by Australian-British company Rio Tinto first unearthed this rare mineral and quickly realized its worth.
In 2004, while prospecting for borates in western Serbia’s Jadar Valley, geologists from the mining giant found something strange: A soft, white, powdery mineral that didn’t match any known records. Chemically, it's unique – containing both lithium and boron – and so far found nowhere else on the planet. With a chemical formula of LiNaSiB3O7(OH), it's almost identical to kryptonite.
“While lacking any supernatural powers the real jadarite has great potential as an important source of lithium and boron,” said Michael Page, a scientist from Australia's Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO). “In fact, the Jadar deposit where it was first discovered is considered one of the largest lithium deposits in the world, making it a potential game-changer for the global green energy transition.”
What Rio Tinto found beneath the sleepy valley was Europe's largest deposit of lithium, and the company believed it could extract 2.3 million tonnes of it, which would power a million cars for a few decades. What's more, jadarite's lithium can be mined easier than existing sources extracted from spodumene....
The accompanying graphics make it look complicated but it's not really.What is complicated is the process for extracting lithium from hard-rock spodumene. See 911 Metallurgist: Processing Spodumene by Froth Flotation for Lithium Extraction
Even when I'm away I'm thinking of you:
"Lithium prices diverge and defy expectations as new EV trends unfold"....Now, if you will excuse me I will explore the energy intensity of roasting spodumene vs. other extraction methods. (it's pretty energy intensive, to effect the phase transformation from α-spodumene to β-spodumene you have to crank the oven up to 1050°C, then acid wash it, then roast it again at 200°C. Season to taste and wow your guests)