LiFT – Lithium for Future Technology

Bikita lithium pegmatite mine in Zimbabwe

Bikita lithium pegmatite mine in Zimbabwe.

Sonic core drilling in the Olaroz Salar, Argentina

Sonic core drilling in the Olaroz Salar, Argentina.

Massive petalite (LiAlSi4O10) mineralisation in the Arcadia Pegmatite, Zimbabwe

Massive petalite (LiAlSi4O10) mineralisation in the Arcadia Pegmatite, Zimbabwe. Petalite is primarily used in the manufacture of glass and ceramics.

Active geothermal systems in a salar watershed, Bolivia

This volcanic landscape and the associated active geothermal systems in this salar watershed, in Bolivia, are closely associated with the elevated Li-concentrations in groundwater and the formation of the Li-brines.

Kamativi Mine in Zimbabwe

The Kamativi Mine in Zimbabwe was worked for tin for almost 60 years. The historic waste material (tailings) at Kamativi is currently being investigated for its lithium potential.

SEM (scanning electron microscope) mineral phase map

SEM (scanning electron microscope) mineral phase map showing the distribution on mineral phases in a sample of altered lithium-tantalum-tin pegmatite from Kamativi, Zimbabwe. Scale bar = 100 microns.
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Lithium (Li) demand is expected to increase significantly over the next decade, due to its use in batteries for electric vehicles and stationary power storage. Global supplies of lithium are currently dominated by salt-lake brines (salars) in the ‘Lithium Triangle’ of South America, and Li-pegmatites, chiefly mined in Australia. Additional geological resources include Li-clays, Li-rich borates, and Li-micas in granites. There is still much to learn about how lithium is mobilised, transported and concentrated in the Earth’s crust (the lithium cycle). The LiFT project will investigate all aspects of this lithium cycle, and develop a new quantitative understanding of the processes linking all the deposit types that will underpin the search for new, sustainable Li resources. The LiFT consortium includes researchers from the British Geological Survey, the Natural History Museum, and the universities of Edinburgh, Exeter, and Southampton, together with an international group of project partners.