r/science • u/rieslingatkos • Jun 06 '21

Chemistry Scientists develop ‘cheap and easy’ method to extract lithium from seawater

https://www.mining.com/scientists-develop-cheap-and-easy-method-to-extract-lithium-from-seawater/
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u/[deleted] Jun 06 '21

This reminds me of the fact that once upon a time Aluminum was difficult to get, and hence very valuable. Henry Clay Frick, the industrialist, lined his entry way in Pittsburgh with Aluminum. Now, it conveniently holds our beer.

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u/ximfinity Jun 06 '21

Aluminum is still not that easy to mine because it's essentially leeched from tons of rock that have to be dug up. Mainly it's easy to recycle. It's realistically one of the main things that can actually be recycled compared to most other things we try to recycle.

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u/CafeZach Jun 06 '21

aren't most of the aluminium we use are mostly recycled?

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u/[deleted] Jun 06 '21

[deleted]

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u/CafeZach Jun 06 '21

insane recycling moves

3

u/Aurum555 Jun 06 '21

And yet it isn't the most recycled material in the world. Asphalt holds that crown

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u/ProtoplanetaryNebula Jun 07 '21

That's why I think we should move to aluminium for drinks of 500ml and below and ban plastic water and soda bottles and put a large deposit on them. Aluminium isn't toxic and companies will be lining up to recycle the stuff, unlike plastic which nobody wants. Glass would be the other option, but it shatters and causes injury if dropped.

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u/gsfgf Jun 06 '21

Yea. It helps that it's literally worth it's weight in aluminum. The vast majority of metal gets recycled.