Lithium: Applications, Supply Chain Developments, and Demand Growth
Lithium is the lightest metal and the least dense solid element (atomic number 3), possessing unique electrochemical properties that have made it the cornerstone of the modern rechargeable battery and clean energy revolution. It is highly reactive, never found in its pure metallic form in nature, and is instead extracted from two primary sources: hard rock minerals, predominantly spodumene ore mined in Australia, and lithium-rich brine deposits pumped from beneath salt flats, primarily in the "Lithium Triangle" of Chile, Argentina, and Bolivia. The processing of these sources yields key lithium compounds: lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide. Lithium's value stems from its position at the top of the electrochemical series, which allows it to generate a very high voltage and energy density in batteries while maintaining a low atomic weight—a perfect combination for portable power and electric vehicles.
The primary driver of global lithium demand is its use as the cathode…