POSCO Closing in on Commercializing New High-Quality Lithium Extraction Method

YonhapNews reported that Korea’s largest steelmaker, POSCO, is close to commercializing a new method of extracting high-quality lithium efficiently and directly from raw materials.

According to the news:

The company said its Research Institute of Industrial Science and Technology (RIST) has been perfecting a chemical reaction process to isolate the valuable silvery white metal from lithium-rich salt water and other impurities.

POSCO said it has started work in June to build a fully operational pilot plant in Argentina’s Jujuy Province. Once built, it can produce 200 tons of lithium per year, with full-fledged production expected in 2016. South America has many dried up salt-water lakes that are rich in lithium.

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