There is unexpected chemistry going on in lithium deposits
By 
Rebecca Trager2025-05-23T18:00:00
After decades understanding pH controls boron speciation in seawater and other saline waters it turns out the opposite is true with lithium brines
The unique chemistry taking place in the world’s lithium deposits points to the importance of boron when it comes to understanding their pH. These results out of Duke University in North Carolina, US could have significant implications for lithium mining technologies, as well as handling and managing wastewater .
Lithium is a critical mineral necessary for rechargeable batteries. About 40% of global production comes from large salt flats, known as salars, in the central Andes in South America and the Tibetan Plateau in Asia. There is lithium below the surface salt deposits in these dry, high-altitude regions, dissolved in extremely salty water. The Duke team discovered and confirmed via modelling that the pH of brines in these regions is primarily driven by boron, unlike seawater and other common saline waters.