MIT’s Greener Lithium Breakthrough Could Cut Costs and Waste in Mining

MIT researchers report a low-temperature, acid-free method to extract lithium from hard rock spodumene by dissolving the silicate matrix with ammonium fluoride, freeing lithium and aluminum for purification. Tested on 17 ore sources with >95% Li recovery, the process is closed-loop and avoids roasting, potentially lowering costs and carbon waste compared with traditional brine evaporation or hard-rock mining. A pilot via spinout Rock Zero is planned, but industrial-scale testing is still needed and could address the looming lithium supply challenge while reducing mining’s environmental footprint.