Scientists have outlined a desalination technique that would use metal-organic frameworks (sponge-like structures with very high surface areas) with sub-nanometer pores to catch lithium ions while purifying ocean water. The approach mimics the tendency of cell membranes to selectively dehydrate and carry ions, leaving the lithium behind while producing water you can drink. This method needs considerably more study before it's ready for real-world use. The implications are already clear, though. If this desalination approach reaches sufficient scale, the world would have much more lithium available for electric vehicles, phones and other battery-based devices. It would reduce the environmental impact of those devices, for that matter. While some say existing lithium mining negates some of the eco-friendliness of an EV, this purification could let you drive relatively guilt-free. Water purification could be the key to more electric cars Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
The last Saturday in August in Michigan is the Woodward Avenue Dream Cruise and I have been there twice. It's the biggest single day event in Michigan every year and there are 40,000 cars on Woodward Avenue and over 1.5 million spectators. All those old cars are on the street in what becomes a stop and go parking lot with eight lanes of traffic, four lanes each way through small towns. You can't hardly breath because those old cars are there with their engines bellowing out mostly pre-catalytic converter pollution into the air. It makes you realize how far we have actually come. No guilt here.
The mineral needed for batteries with more issues at the moment is cobalt. Are they also targeting it? @tochatihu had a thread a while back on the valuable stuff a desalination plant might also take a shot at gathering while making drinking water.
I think lithium is already extracted from brine water. And yes if ocean water is desalinated on very large scale, the byproduct is buckets of brine. Getting value out of that would improve business model.
Lithium isn't exactly a rare element on Earth, and other minerals might become the limiting factor on battery product. Cobalt is rarer, and major sources have political and social issues surrounding them. Unfortunately, getting it from seawater likely may only happen when getting the gold becomes worthwhile. There appears to be more mercury in the ocean. MINERAL MAKEUP OF SEAWATER https://www.whoi.edu/cms/files/msaito/2005/3/SaitoMoffett_GCA_Co_2002_1804.pdf
My impression was that, while the element itself is not scarce, deposits concentrated to economically extractable levels are infrequent.
Four lanes of traffic through small towns! There's not enough room for more than two lens in most of our cramped cities in UK. Remember, our whole landmass area could be fitted into certain US states. From the latest doom reports, it may seem be possible to economically harvest plastic from Earth's oceans before very long. Only problem now is finding a useful purpose for the crop.
We can convert that plastic, or any organic material, back into a petroleum through thermal depolymerization.
That's four lanes each way, total eight lanes. Woodward Avenue runs from Detroit to Pontiac Michigan and has a historical significance of being the first paved road in the US Back in the day the big three ran their new cars up and down it for testing. Enjoy!
This 828 km Canadian road has a 300 meter right-of-way to expand! My first Toyota (1969 Corolla) died on that road. Ontario Highway 401 - Wikipedia
