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>There's no need to do nuclear chemistry when you can fish it out of seawater. I would love to see Lithium produced cheaply and efficiently from seawater as mu

>There's no need to do nuclear chemistry when you can fish it out of seawater. I would love to see Lithium produced cheaply and efficiently from seawater as much as the next guy -- but tell me, is this a practical reality today? ? If there's a working Lithium-from-seawater extraction facility fully operating and producing Lithium at scale as of the current date -- then I have yet to see it. Would you kindly provide a link or links to web pages describing such a facility? Also, if seawater Lithium extraction is a present-day reality, then why do Lithium mines and mining operations continue to exist? I don't deny that Lithium could possibly be pulled out of seawater or any other Lithium containing substance for that matter -- but as of the present date, I haven't seen seawater Lithium extraction (like, from the actual Ocean) working and working at scale... So... Links please? But, all of this being said, Lithium extraction from seawater is indeed a great idea(!) -- if it could work and work at scale (and it quite possibly could, in the future!)

pjc50 3y ago
You're the one who opened with "it may initially cost, like, trillions of dollars to do this in the lab the first couple of times" for the bonkers lithium nuclear synthesis idea, before moving the goalposts all the way to "If there's a working Lithium-from-seawater extraction facility fully operating and producing Lithium at scale as of the current date -- then I have yet to see it." The bench process is https://electrek.co/2021/06/04/scientists-have-cost-effectively-harvested-lithium-from-seawater/ https://electrek.co/2021/06/04/scientists-have-cost-effectiv... >> First you make it work -- then you make it cheap. ^ We are at step 1. Some nuclear fusion people are proposing using lithium as an input. Guess where they're saying they'll get it from. https://news.newenergytimes.net/2022/01/08/lithium-lithium-everywhere-and-none-to-use-for-fusion-reactors/ https://news.newenergytimes.net/2022/01/08/lithium-lithium-e...
- peter_d_sherman 3y ago
  >You're the one who opened with "it may initially cost, like, trillions of dollars to do this in the lab the first couple of times" for the bonkers lithium nuclear synthesis idea... Most ideas which have advanced humanity in some way -- have historically been perceived as "bonkers" -- at the point in time of their inception. >"...before moving the goalposts all the way to "If there's a working Lithium-from-seawater extraction facility fully operating and producing Lithium at scale as of the current date -- then I have yet to see it." " Well, "goalposts" moved or not -- I still do have yet to see it... (didn't your initial reply change the original "nuclear chemistry" goalpost to the "fishing it out of seawater" goalpost?) That having been said, the links you have provided are very interesting and informative (thank you for them!) -- and perhaps lithium extraction from seawater at scale -- will one day become a practical reality!

pjc50 3y ago

You're the one who opened with "it may initially cost, like, trillions of dollars to do this in the lab the first couple of times" for the bonkers lithium nuclear synthesis idea, before moving the goalposts all the way to "If there's a working Lithium-from-seawater extraction facility fully operating and producing Lithium at scale as of the current date -- then I have yet to see it." The bench process is https://electrek.co/2021/06/04/scientists-have-cost-effectively-harvested-lithium-from-seawater/ https://electrek.co/2021/06/04/scientists-have-cost-effectiv... >> First you make it work -- then you make it cheap. ^ We are at step 1. Some nuclear fusion people are proposing using lithium as an input. Guess where they're saying they'll get it from. https://news.newenergytimes.net/2022/01/08/lithium-lithium-everywhere-and-none-to-use-for-fusion-reactors/ https://news.newenergytimes.net/2022/01/08/lithium-lithium-e...

peter_d_sherman 3y ago
>You're the one who opened with "it may initially cost, like, trillions of dollars to do this in the lab the first couple of times" for the bonkers lithium nuclear synthesis idea... Most ideas which have advanced humanity in some way -- have historically been perceived as "bonkers" -- at the point in time of their inception. >"...before moving the goalposts all the way to "If there's a working Lithium-from-seawater extraction facility fully operating and producing Lithium at scale as of the current date -- then I have yet to see it." " Well, "goalposts" moved or not -- I still do have yet to see it... (didn't your initial reply change the original "nuclear chemistry" goalpost to the "fishing it out of seawater" goalpost?) That having been said, the links you have provided are very interesting and informative (thank you for them!) -- and perhaps lithium extraction from seawater at scale -- will one day become a practical reality!