The world’s transition to electric vehicles is driving demand for lithium, a crucial mineral used in lightweight and powerful lithium-ion batteries. A recent analysis from the University of California, Davis, has shed light on how new mining operations and battery recycling could meet this growing demand. Recycling, it turns out, plays a significant role in easing supply constraints.

“Batteries are an enormous new source of demand for lithium,” says Alissa Kendall, Ray B. Krone endowed professor of Environmental Engineering at UC Davis and senior author on the paper. “Global demand for lithium has risen dramatically – by 30% between 2022 and 2023 alone – as adoption of electric vehicles continues.”

Previous research has focused on forecasting cumulative demand over the next 30 years compared to what is known to be in the ground, says graduate student Pablo Busch, first author on the paper. However, opening a new lithium mine is a potentially billion-dollar investment that could take 10 to 15 years to begin production.

New mining proposals can be delayed or cancelled by environmental regulations and local opposition. “It’s not just about having enough lithium; it’s how fast you can extract it,” Busch notes. “Any supply disruption will slow down electric vehicle adoption, reducing mobility access and extending the operation of combustion engine vehicles and their associated carbon emissions.”

There are three main sources of usable lithium: briny water from deep underground; rocks; and sedimentary clays. Half the world’s lithium currently comes from Australia, where it is mostly mined from rock. The United States has lithium-rich brine in geothermal areas and oilfields, as well as lithium-bearing clay.

A fourth source of lithium – recycling old batteries – is still a relatively expensive process compared to mining, Kendall notes. However, modeling supply and demand shows that recycling could dramatically reduce the need for new mines. Under high-demand scenarios, up to 85 new and additional lithium deposits would need to be opened by 2050. But through policies that push the market toward smaller batteries and extensive global recycling, this number could be reduced to as few as 15 new mines.

Battery recycling has an outsize effect on the market, the researchers say. “Recycling is really important for geopolitical and environmental reasons,” Kendall notes. “If you can meet a small percentage of demand with recycling, it can have a big impact on the need for new mines.”

Timing is everything; some new mines need to open to create a flow of lithium that can be recycled. Depending on the demand scenario, recycling would make the biggest difference around 2035.

Efficiency standards for electric cars and improvements to the public charging network to reduce “range anxiety” could also moderate lithium demand by encouraging smaller cars. Additional authors include Yunzhu Chen and Prosper Ogbonna, both at UC Davis, with funding from the Heising-Simons Foundation and the ClimateWorks Foundation.

Unveiling Electron Secrets: A Groundbreaking Experiment on the Bound Electron g-Factor in Lithium-Like Tin

Physicists at the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics have achieved a groundbreaking experiment that pushes the limits of precision measurement. By studying the bound electron g-factor in lithium-like tin, they have made an unprecedented leap forward in our understanding of quantum electrodynamics (QED). This fundamental theory describes all electromagnetic phenomena, including light and its interactions with matter.

The researchers’ goal was to test QED’s predictions even more rigorously than ever before. They employed an enhanced interelectronic QED method, incorporating effects up to the two-loop level, which has led to a 25-fold improvement over previous calculations for the g-factor in hydrogen-like systems.

To measure the g-factor of the bound electron in lithium-like tin, the scientists utilized the cryogenic Penning trap ALPHATRAP. This sophisticated device allows precise control over the ion’s motion and spin precession. By detecting small electric signals induced by the ion’s movement and sending microwave radiation to induce spin flips, they extracted the g-factor value with remarkable accuracy.

The experimental result agrees well with the theoretical prediction within the uncertainty of the calculation. The overall accuracy achieved is 0.5 parts per billion, showcasing the precision of this experiment. This breakthrough demonstrates that scientists can continue to test QED’s predictions and push the boundaries of human knowledge in understanding the fundamental forces of nature.

The researchers’ findings have significant implications for the development of new theories and models. They demonstrate that even more precise measurements are possible with advancements in technology and theory. As a result, this experiment sets the stage for further investigations into QED phenomena, such as parity non-conserving transitions in neutral atoms and other effects.

In conclusion, this groundbreaking experiment on the bound electron g-factor in lithium-like tin has pushed the limits of precision measurement, providing new insights into QED’s predictions. The scientists’ dedication to collaborative research and innovative techniques has led to a significant leap forward in our understanding of quantum mechanics and its interactions with matter.

The breakthrough technology developed by researchers from MIT and Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART) has been making waves in the agricultural industry. By using biodegradable silk microneedles to deliver precise amounts of melatonin into harvested plants, scientists have successfully extended the shelf life of produce by up to four days at room temperature and 10 days when refrigerated.

The researchers believe their system could offer an alternative or complement to refrigeration, addressing the global issue of post-harvest food waste. According to Marelli, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at MIT, “Post-harvest waste is a huge issue. This problem is extremely important in emerging markets around Africa and Southeast Asia, where many crops are produced but can’t be maintained in the journey from farms to markets.”

The team used their microneedles to inject a fluorescent dye into pak choy plants to confirm that vasculature could spread the dye throughout the plant. They then compared the shelf life of regular pak choy plants and plants treated with melatonin, finding no difference between them.

However, when small patches of the melatonin-filled microneedles were applied to the bottom of pak choy plants by hand, they noticed significant improvements in the plants’ condition. At room temperature, the leaves remained green on day five, with weight loss and chlorophyll reduction slowing significantly compared to the untreated control group.

In refrigerated conditions, treated plants retained their saleable value until day 25. The researchers observed that melatonin improved stress response in plant after it’s been cut, thus extending its shelf life.

Marelli emphasized that for this technology to be widely adopted, they need to reach a performance versus cost threshold to justify its use. For instance, applying microneedle patches using tractors or autonomous drones could make the process more efficient and scalable.

The research team plans to study the effects of various hormones on different crops using their microneedle delivery technology. They aim to increase the impact this can have on the value and quality of crops by analyzing how they can modulate nutritional values, shape, texture, etc.

As this technology continues to evolve, it holds immense potential for reducing post-harvest food waste worldwide. With its ability to extend shelf life and improve stress response in plants, it has the power to save millions of dollars annually in agricultural losses.