For those interested in the Adding Salt to Clays method Tesla was promoting yesterday, the following research paper from 1985 is probably a good place to start.
If you have been watching this industry for many years, as I have, even getting to 99% purity still leaves .9% on the table and getting that last 0.9% is harder (read: costly) still. From this research, the cost of the method seemed uneconomical to 99% then, even with the significantly lower demand on Lithium at that time, let alone now. As even Elon says, simplicity is blood hard, and I proffer that just because Lithium is everywhere (simple), the reason it strongly hangs with other elements is exactly what makes it hard, no matter where we find it.
While I welcome all that Elon does and would be most happy for him to succeed in sourcing the needed materials to transform our society to clean energy sooner, I don't see anything but a buying opportunity for Lithium Materials companies off the back of the immediate fear reaction to the thought our current methods are soon to be outdated.
GXY Price at posting:
$1.19 Sentiment: Buy Disclosure: Held
