Aussies discover a way to refine lithium that ends China's monopoly

That’s the best article ever you discussed! It makes more sense omg. Australia are source of lot of minerals. More power!

Excellent news! It's what we've all been waiting for. Great for Australia & great for all the rest of us ...

Yes, Viking. This is great news and we definitely need to refine it here in Australia. We have talented scientists and technicians and a well-educated workforce. So, let's get on and do it!

Go for it, Australia! You deserve to stand on your own two feet.

What an exciting time to be alive! We're seeing various new technologies improve their performance by leaps & bounds, & we're seeing this in HD anywhere in the world! Wow & double wow. Many thanks, Viking, from an elderly Canadian man...

Hurrah for the Aussies!

Very good analysis. I hope it is true.
The country with the largest lithium deposits is Chile with 21 million tonnes. Australia is fifth with about 7 million tonnes.
And no, China does not think bad of Australia. China just having a hard time managing a hostile Australia and vice versa I suppose from Australia's point of view.
I am hopeful that the new Albanese government will do better.
As for the new refining tech: congratulations if it can replicate in the commercial world. It is another step in the competition in EV batteries. I am sure the lead in this race will continue to change.
This is very healthy competition. We consumers will only stand to benefit.
One note on recycling lithium batteries: it will slow the rise in price of lithium, not bring it down.
We are talking about a current global market of 70 million vehicles per year, rising to over 100 million within 7 years as the now developing countries rise. Just replacing 70% of that with EVs will consume a lot of lithium including from recycling, even as new batteries will last longer and longer and therefore reducing the supply of expired batteries for recycling.
Also China had slashed the cost of producing lithium by over 700% to US2,200 per tonne - two years ago
Try beating that even with the new hyped recovery of over 90% as compared with 50-70% as asserted in this channel.
BTW, the filtration technique with efficiency of 90% or more is old news. They have proved theoretically the technique in the US two years or more ago.

Let's hope the pilot plant proves commercially viable and they can commence production by 2026 as planned.
It's the old problem - moving from the lab to commercial production is always hard and never certain.

White-gold Rush in Bharat! A huge jackpot of ~5.9 million tons of Lithium (carbonate) was discovered in Jammu, making it World's #2 in #Lithium reserves. This would be a game changer to Indian economy and #AtmanirbharBharat!💪🇮🇳🙏

This was really good news. It will make a massive difference. Good for you Aussies, you've always had good tech.

There's a saying, "If you want a thing done well, do it yourself." always try to cut out the middle man.

Thanks, Sam for another great presentation. Showing us what responsible media in Aust should have been telling us - But don't of copurse.

Same goes for America back in the 40s it was 30% Chinese products now in 2022 is like 98% lets reduce this.

Well we kinda did just finish up with a government that had an unhealthy interest carrying lumps of coal into parliament and actively fought against renewables, hopefully this new mob can enact a little more vision 🤙🦘

AUS should be developing some battery factories. New modern and efficient plants producing various battery chemistry s in the 4680 format.

Giga Down Under!

China has never monopolized lithium. Western countries shut down many lithium mines for environmental reasons, and they can mine lithium mines again if they like.They can also buy a large number of South American lithium mines in the open market, if they have money.

I love this mentality, stop sending jobs to China . I’m a lithium miner myself but we brine instead

It's LG's fault. 1 They bought something from China, always wrong. 2 They didn't test the Lithium relentlessly. 3 It's LG's product. They have ultimate responsibility.

Alright!!! NOW JUST TO WAIT ANOTHER 100 Years for it to come out!!!

Woot! Go Australia!

Regarding Li refining in China, let me tell you a story which goes back a few years (about a decade or so?) and probably not many people remember.
An Australian company Galaxy, was producing Lithium but they also set up a refining factory in China (Jiangsu Lithium Carbonate Plant). It was a big investment but the factory was producing high quality lithium carbonate, with production quantities and purity ramping up faster then their original plan stated. On the cusp of turning cashflow positive, it all looked extremely promising for Galaxy and then, disaster struck. There was an accident in the factory and sadly, two people died. The Chinese government ordered the factory to be shut down. Then, the cat and mouse game started with the Chinese authorities. They did endless inspections of the plant, kept delaying the permit to reopen. This went on for many-many months with constant uncertainty for the company. So, Galaxy kept burning money without being able to sell their refined product and living in constant uncertainty of when they may be allowed to reopen.
Then, China made a godfather like offer that Galaxy couldn't refuse. Sell the factory to China's Sichuan Tianqi Lithium Industries! With the factory shut and the authorities not giving signs of budging, Galaxy was bleeding money. With lithium holding a great promise, other companies piled on the market while demand was not yet ramping up, so there were competitive pressures which was depressing Li (spodumene and lithium carbonate) prices. In the end, with help from an influential stooge (or stooges) within the company leadership, Galaxy caved in and sold the factory. Since the factory wasn't operating, it was at not much more than fire sale price. Galaxy didn't even see all the money, since the new owner took on Galaxy's debt to Chinese banks. At least the company survived but lost the golden egg laying goose. The stooge left or was booted out, who knows, these things are rarely explained publically.
Curiously, after the factory was taken over, it sprang back to life and the authorities lost interest in OH&S issues arising thereafter, I imagine.
These often dirty tactics are how China is cornering resources and lithium in particular.

Go Aussies.

Good news. May we remember Li batteries do not generate electricity, just transfers it. we must focus equally on green energy generation. Please look into the sodium alumina battery breakthrough as well. Australia as well, ATC.asx.

LG chem could well be right about the impurities. But LG chem has ultimate responsibility. Should have not used the impure stuff.

They , and the technology must be protected at all cost

You should go and visit the facility and/or interview the company developing the process.
Adding to person to person interviews to your channel would be fantastic

That’s the flaw in always seeking the lowest bidder…I have a saying, “ never do for someone else, what they should do for themselves “…it’s in reference to enabling codependency…it just occurred to me listening to this, that we need to apply this to ourselves and our economies! We must do for ourselves, many things that seem easy to pass off to others, because it’s cheaper or more convenient…but in the end it bites you in the a$$! Whether you’re talking about personal or national security…you ALWAYS had better keep track of who you’re beholding to…and what it might REALLY cost you in the end.

Tesla should spend a couple of billion dollars to fund an Aussie refining operation either by itself or with a local partner

Now my big question is if we are actually going to take advantage of this and do the processing here, or are we going to do what we have done so many times and just sell the tech overseas and just keep concentrating on shipping raw ore around the world? We don’t have the best track record of keeping innovations in Australia and rising above the basic mining.

Once Australia figures out the refining part they will be printing money for their country.

Great Video USA and AUSTRALIA all the way

Now that is good news

Efficiency is often underrated. Using nearly all the lithium and making our supplies much larger is HUGE. Processing it with less energy AND not shipping it long distances to be processed is GREAT news.
We need to try to do everything we can more efficiently, as well as moving away from things like fossil fuel burning, to get AGW under control enough that active mitigation like removing it from the atmosphere will be possible/practical in future decades.
It's wonderful to see people working together and figuring these things out.
...
NOW, if we can get the masses to work together and have less children overall and consume less (or more efficient products), maybe we're starting to get somewhere.

Excellent news for consumers.

It's good to see that Oz is still innovating in the mining field.
The biggest problem will be the morass of red tape, green tape and Gov't ideology which will need to be addressed/overcome before we can start refining on any scale. That's why we don't have lithium refining in Oz already.
In the meantime, we will keep sending the ore to China to let them refine it wastefully and using masses of energy.

already a brand new huge Lithium refinery run by Tianqi Lithium at Kwinana, WA. This is turning spodumene into batttery grade Lithium Hydroxide

We could take those billions we use to fund Big Oil in Australia, and use it to fund this chance for Australia to become relevant in future markets while creating new jobs... Nah, let's just keep making the oil lobbyists and politicians happy and fat.

I have a question so it simple pump Lithium water up Let the water evavporate and you concentrate it up by this process?
But isn't there a way to use solar desalination?
It can be used for evaporate the water and the condensated water can be used for things

Lithium is the new Oil

Sadly, history shows China won’t care about whether it is patented or not: if someone in the decision-making process concludes it’s worth it to them, they’ll use whatever works best for some definition of “best” which may be a complete clone of something or a slightly modified version of something, often a less-ideal imperfect copy.
I fully expect China will take full advantage of this new process, and not reimburse the work of the IP holders: who would enforce the patent violation and make them pay?

looks like a froth flotation technology if the pictures were actually of the process (so often they aren't in such items). Anyway, another way of increasing the available Li for vehicles is to use other chemistries for static applications. And they are superior. For instance ZnBr batteries and liquid metal batteries don't degrade with time, don't self discharge and thrive on heavy use, taking them repeatedly from 0 to 100% charge over and over again. These are only two examples.

This seems to be similar to the displacement process for the production of Sodium metal using potassium and it's compounds. By using Sodium to displace Lithium.

Great information!

Thanks

This would definitely be better, for every reason.

💯 Oz should also onshore iron ore refining via the new hydrogen 'green steel' methods.

I want to see Tesla in Australia building cars. Unless someone steps up to build indigenous cars.

I got 10 bucks that if it works as advertised the government will sell it for a quick cash up

I don't live in Australia but was under the impression that there was a severe problem of corruption in the political structures. I fear some envelopes stuffed with high value currency will find itself into politicians pockets to ensure this process is forgotten about.

Australia growing industrial capacity? You must have been sniffing glue.

I really dig your mining video Viking! 😉 Go Aussie, Go!

Talk, talk talk. Sleep, sleep, sleep. Dream, dream, dream. Nothing happens?

Nickel is probably the better investment now. Lithium topped out

You are advocating following the Aluminium industry where the original ore "Bauxite" is mined in Cape York and in West Aust. and refined to Alumina (Al2O3) in large refineries in W. A. and in Gladstone Qld. and then sent to Smelters across the world to be further refined to Aluminium metal. Increasing the value of 4 tonnes of Bauxite to 2 tonnes (approx) of Alumina and then to a tonne of Aluminium metal worth between $2500 to $3000. It is an opportunity just waiting for an Investor.

Looks like the Australian company who owns the biggest lithium mine in Australia is owned 80% by Windfield holdings a Chinese company

Build giga-factories and make batteries in Australia! Tesla and other major players love to build factories near source materials

Too much money is being wasted on real estate investments and not enough money into research and Development.... Need to change the rules

Love your videos. Thanks for all you do!

Sam Evans is one cool dude! Great videos. Your clarity and great explanations are valuable sir!

Noble prize for Dr. what's his name?

Is any company in Aus stepping up to make this happen now?....or will it have to be CATL and BYD investing in Aus.

There's always some cool new process that works great in the lab. I would wait until I see it working at scale before I got too excited. 90% of things that work in the lab don't work at scale.

Ansto is Australia's government nuclear science body, what about this technique requires nuclear technology know how?

Australia sees itself as the 'mine of the world.' Dig it up and sell it off, for a fast profit.
Businesses in Australia do not want to manufacture or value add to raw materials.
It is cheaper to go elsewhere and exploit low-cost labour countries.
It's all about greed.

What are you taking about? We refine it here in Australia. I work at a lithium plant in Perth.

Calix are attempting to do something similar with Pilbara

Told you this weeks ago 😉

Good job 👍

So they could double EV build rates.....Let's see....We are all in with electric...It will only take 200 years....100 now? ....You really are the brightest star that can ever be seen at noon.

Some smart company will buy the tailings ponds.

Good for Australia.

Chinese companies mine lithium so won’t sell the product to Australian companies.
Plus the CCP will probably put a tax on importing whatever’s processed in Australia.

We need some forward minded people to guide the politicians. There are patriots out there with great knowledge who could change the destiny of this very very rich great country.

Most of the lithium will be used to treat America's nut-jobs.

Giga Melbourne?

I wanted to share news of byd building a factory in thailand

Aluminum sulfur batteries can charge at 200C and have greater capacity than lithium batteries and are 1 tenth the material cost. They will kill off lithium batteries. Lithium processing recovers around 90% ofthe lithium. The alternative uses large amounts to of acid, which is just as energy Intensive and not much better recovery.

50% to 70% yield is actually quite good, if you can do it cheaply (that is not the case)

Only makes sense

Don't get me started Sam! Lithium mining and refining in Australia has been the elephant in the room for literally years. I've personally lost $$$'s investing in mining and refining of lithium in local companies. So much promise, yet all is spoiled by the greed of these companies or the complete incompetence of their Boards. There are newer contracts with Aussie miners for supply, yet why are they NOT showing any stability and growth. Maybe this video will herald a renewed interest, but be wary.......

What are the steps to the new process?

YEA

If Australians can set up large refining capacity then they should be able to leverage that ability to set up battery factories and ultimately car factories...

If CATL or BYD doesn't have any interest in what they discovered...
Then it's Hot Garage!

Australia would be a much more reliable and trustable exporter of refined lithium.

Make lithium batteries in Australia, jobs ,jobs

Rather than talk about commercial value of Lithium, can I suggest talking about tonnage? How much is produced is key, what that sells for could be anything from a modest increase in tonnage at a much higher price due to scarcity, or a massive increase in tonnage at a more modest price.

Australia is abundant in minerals and ore, tinto Rio which was owned by the queen screwed the Ozzie's for generations, you can bet these vast lithium deposits will go the same way. Same thing happened to our north sea oil, it was stolen by BP and shell, owned by the anglo dutch Jewish royal families, thank the queen for that too

Man you are fast and on top of all things Tesla, thank you for such a quick response

Ahhhhhhh, Sam, there’s a, ..REASON, ..WHY, this ‘Lithium Australia’s’ company share price is currently 5 cents, and, has been, 5 cents, ..forever, AND, ALSO WHY, the company’s entire ‘Executive management’ ..team, consists of just one ‘bloke’ an Accountant, and two, female ‘Secretaries’..! 🙄 I’m sure that if you ‘think hard’ about it, you’ll eventually, be able to figure it out, …WHY…! 🙄🙄

Good news. Better to use Aus than China. When do we start?

Guaranteed, if its as good as it sounds, it'll be sold off to some multi-$Billion OS company... like everything else in Australia these days.
$1.3million grant... Chump change! 😂🤣😂

What's the name of the lithium refinery company?

i dont think China stopped/blocked other countries to buy or develop mines and lithium infrastructure, good fro them;)

Shipping lithium ore to China to be refined will do to Australia GDP ; what producing almost all of US products in China did to their GDP! The US is currently bring back manufacturing to increase it GDP to save its infrastructure, mainly its medicare and social security system. As they old saying goes! If you want something done right; than you have to do it yourself!

Speaking as a person who has seen big things come out of Australian scientific and technological research over decades, such an accomplishment does not surprise me. Vivat! Perhaps because I live near one of the largest pumped storage hydropower plants in the world, it seems to me that Australia would be a very good place to install grid-scale energy storage plants that raise large weights rather than lifting water. Much more reasonable than grid-scale batteries IMO.

Owli,matter green has new extraction tech

pffftt The companies own Aug 23 presentation forecasts a pilot plant for 2026 for TEN tonnes of LFP .. thats just 10.00 tonnes.. thats it

Tesla should buy Core Lithium and set up world class refineries.