Category: Innovation for Global Impact
Crystallization Pattern of a Common Salt Mixture
Researcher: Rachel Korchinsky – Graduate Student, Chemistry
Location: Electron Microscopy Facility, Queen's University
Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are rechargeable energy carriers that power electronic devices such as phones, cars, and hybrid/electric vehicles. The demand for lithium used to manufacture LIBs is expected to grow 30-fold by 2040. Industry primarily extracts lithium from rock ore and brine; however, the methods used are time-intensive and costly. Therefore, we are investigating alternative extraction methods that would reduce the energy consumption, waste production, and time intensity. The image, obtained by microscopy, is of salts that crystallized after evaporation of a lithium-containing brine.
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