Closed-loop process could unlock cheaper lithium from rocks with near-zero waste

Demand for lithium has surged in recent years as lithium-ion batteries increasingly power more of our world. And yet, even as places like the U.S., Europe, and Australia have abundant lithium resources within their borders, China dominates global lithium refining. The biggest hurdle to tapping into the U.S. and Australia's lithium is getting it out of hard rock minerals in a form that is useful.