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Minerals
Volume 15
Issue 9
10.3390/min15090917
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Review

An Overview of Applications, Toxicology and Separation Methods of Lithium

by
Ma. del Rosario Moreno-Virgen
1,*,
Blanca Paloma Escalera-Velasco
1,
Hilda Elizabeth Reynel-Ávila
1,2,
Herson Antonio González-Ponce
1,
Alvaro Rodrigo Videla-Leiva
3,
Arturo Ignacio Morandé-Thompson
3,
Marco Ludovico-Marques
4,
Noemi Sogari
5 and
Adrián Bonilla-Petriciolet
1
1
Tecnológico Nacional de México, Instituto Tecnológico de Aguascalientes, Aguascalientes 20256, Mexico
2
Investigadoras e Investigadores por México, Secretaría de Ciencia, Humanidades, Tecnología e Innovación, Ciudad de México 03940, Mexico
3
Centro de Energía, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago C.P. 8331150, Chile
4
Instituto Politécnico de Setúbal, ESTBarreiro, 2839-001 Lavradio, Portugal
5
Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales y Agrimensura, Universidad Nacional del Nordeste, Corrientes C.P. 3400, Argentina
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Minerals 2025, 15(9), 917; https://doi.org/10.3390/min15090917 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 7 July 2025 / Revised: 9 August 2025 / Accepted: 26 August 2025 / Published: 28 August 2025
(This article belongs to the Section Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy)
Versions Notes

Abstract

Lithium has emerged as a critical element in contemporary society. It has been classified as an indispensable feedstock in the manufacture of lithium-ion batteries for electric mobility, portable electronics, and stationary energy storage systems, which are essential for the integration of intermittent renewable energy sources. This metal also has other industrial applications and is projected to support future developments in semiconductor and aerospace technology. However, the exponential growth in global Li demand driven by energy transition and technological innovation requires a resilient and sustainable supply chain where both technological and environmental challenges should be addressed. This review discusses and analyzes some of current challenges associated with the Li supply chain given a particular emphasis on its separation methods. First, statistics of the Li market and its applications are provided, including the main sources from which to recover Li and the environmental impact associated with conventional Li extraction techniques from mineral ores and salar brines. Different separation methods (e.g., solvent extraction, adsorption, ion exchange, membrane technology) to recover Li from different sources are reviewed. Recent advances and developments in these separation strategies are described, including a brief analysis of their main limitations and capabilities. The importance and potential of recycling strategies for end-of-life batteries and industrial residues are also highlighted. A perspective on the gaps to be resolved with the aim of consolidating the Li supply chain to support the energy transition agenda is provided in this review.
Keywords: energy transition; minerals; lithium recovery energy transition; minerals; lithium recovery

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MDPI and ACS Style

Moreno-Virgen, M.d.R.; Escalera-Velasco, B.P.; Reynel-Ávila, H.E.; González-Ponce, H.A.; Videla-Leiva, A.R.; Morandé-Thompson, A.I.; Ludovico-Marques, M.; Sogari, N.; Bonilla-Petriciolet, A. An Overview of Applications, Toxicology and Separation Methods of Lithium. Minerals 2025, 15, 917. https://doi.org/10.3390/min15090917

AMA Style

Moreno-Virgen MdR, Escalera-Velasco BP, Reynel-Ávila HE, González-Ponce HA, Videla-Leiva AR, Morandé-Thompson AI, Ludovico-Marques M, Sogari N, Bonilla-Petriciolet A. An Overview of Applications, Toxicology and Separation Methods of Lithium. Minerals. 2025; 15(9):917. https://doi.org/10.3390/min15090917

Chicago/Turabian Style

Moreno-Virgen, Ma. del Rosario, Blanca Paloma Escalera-Velasco, Hilda Elizabeth Reynel-Ávila, Herson Antonio González-Ponce, Alvaro Rodrigo Videla-Leiva, Arturo Ignacio Morandé-Thompson, Marco Ludovico-Marques, Noemi Sogari, and Adrián Bonilla-Petriciolet. 2025. "An Overview of Applications, Toxicology and Separation Methods of Lithium" Minerals 15, no. 9: 917. https://doi.org/10.3390/min15090917

APA Style

Moreno-Virgen, M. d. R., Escalera-Velasco, B. P., Reynel-Ávila, H. E., González-Ponce, H. A., Videla-Leiva, A. R., Morandé-Thompson, A. I., Ludovico-Marques, M., Sogari, N., & Bonilla-Petriciolet, A. (2025). An Overview of Applications, Toxicology and Separation Methods of Lithium. Minerals, 15(9), 917. https://doi.org/10.3390/min15090917

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