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Chile's Atacama salt flat is sinking at a rate of 1 to 2 centimeters (0.4 to 0.8 inches) per year due to lithium brine extraction, according to a study by the University of Chile. The study used ...
Chile's SQM, the world's second-largest lithium producer, said it has suspended operations at the Atacama salt flat in Chile due to road blockades. "Since we do not know how long the road blockade ...
There are concerns that lithium producers are drawing too much lithium-rich brine, or saltwater, from pools beneath the Atacama, the world's driest desert. A water fight in Chile's Atacama raises ...
The lithium extraction process in Salar de Atacama begins with salty brine being pumped out of the ground and then put to rest in evaporation ponds so the remaining brine is slowly enriched in lithium. The evaporation pond stage takes usually 12 to 18 months which is the time it takes for it to reach a lithium concentration of 6%. [24]
Chile is the main producer of lithium from brine. [14] Until 2017, when it was surpassed by Australia, Chile was the over-all main producer of lithium. [15] By one estimate Chile will be surpassed also by Argentina and China in lithium production by 2030. [15]
There is some capacity to convert the carbonate to lithium hydroxide in Salar de Carmen. 2019 revenues from lithium were $505mio. [13] In 2021, the lithium revenues were US$936.1 million. [15] The process involves pumping up lithium rich brine from below the ground into shallow pans. Water is evaporated thanks to the strong sun and dry air. [16]
Protesters agreed to end demonstrations that had blocked access to the Atacama salt flat in Chile, the world's largest lithium deposit, with the promise of a visit by President Gabriel Boric.
The Lithium Triangle (Spanish: Triángulo del Litio) is a region of the Andes that is rich in lithium reserves, encompassed by the borders of Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile. [1] The lithium in the triangle is concentrated in various salt pans that exist along the Atacama Desert and neighboring arid areas .