EP&T: Summit Nanotech greens-up lithium extraction process

Amanda Hall, founder and CEO of Summit Nanotech, is striving to transform the mining process of lithium.

As most designers recognize – Lithium-ion batteries are light and compact. Compared to other rechargeable batteries Li-ion has high energy density and low self-discharge rate. You should know that Lithium-ion now powers the majority of modern portable electronic devices from mobile phones to hybrid and electric vehicles.

Thus, the proliferation of mobile devices, gadgets, and e-vehicles has created skyrocketing demand for lithium. It is estimated that by 2025, lithium demand will increase to five times today’s levels. To be sure, lithium-ion technology has the potential to mitigate climate change by displacing the use of fossil fuels and reducing CO2 emission, but its mining and extraction practices do have a negative environmental impact.

Read the full story on EP&T, one of Canadian Manufacturing‘s sister publications.