I stole my granddaughter's university library login and copy and...

I stole my granddaughter's university library login and copy and paste a bit from a recent academic review (attached - it mentions GXY) for any interested process engineers/chemists.

5. Conclusions

Lithium reserves in brine and mineral resources face challenges in terms of process sustainability and reduced operational cost. In the case of minerals, heat treatment for phase transformation, particularly
of a-spodumene to b-spodumene, is necessary to expand the volume of spodumene to release the lithium from its crystalline structure. Roasting with chemical reagents is required for minerals, such as lepidolite and zinnwaldite, prior to leaching the lithium into aqueous solutions. The chlorination process requires
well-equipped arrangements to resist corrosion; however, chlorination has the advantage of forming more highly soluble species (LiCl) than the carbonation and sulfation of minerals. The sulfation
process, with a lower cost, is prominent in leaching, even at ambient temperature. The high-purity product yield of Li2CO3 using the carbonation process is in demand for battery production.

Currently, Chilean and Argentinean continental deposits, along  with the Dead Sea in Israel and other brines, are producing large amounts of lithium. The processing routes are similar to solar
evaporation, the crystallization of impurities and precipitation. The evaporation techniques used to enrich the lithium contents in brine depend on the factors of low latitudes in large areas with small slopes, low salt water permeability, low rainfall rate, dry winds, and long summer seasons. The currently used brine extraction techniques are inadequate for the majority of resources; additional work in this area is essential for lithium recovery.

Lithium Part I From mineral and brine resources 2016.pdf