An overview of lithium brine deposits Generally, lithium extraction from brine sources has proven more economical than production from hard-rock ore.

China confirms major lithium discovery in Hunan: 490 million tons of ore, key to the energy industry and national strategic security.

One investigation introduced an environment-friendly process to recover lithium, alongside aluminium and silicon, from low-grade clay-type ores.

Separating lithium from ore typically involves crushing the rock and heating it up to temperatures of more than 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit.

Lithium is extracted by two primary methods: mining ores and extraction from salts and brines. Typical lithium ore has about 1% lithium.