Media contributions
2Media contributions
Title Batteries 101: Froth flotation of lithium mica Degree of recognition International Media name/outlet Youtube Media type Web Country/Territory Netherlands Date 8/10/20 Description It has been suggested that, now that we leave the Age of Oil behind us, we are starting the so-called Green Stone Age. That's because for so many things in our daily lives, we are dependent on rare metals and other elements that we extract from rocks.
I am a Geologist, and I try to find the rocks from which we can get the materials for the Energy Transition. And what better example than lithium, the element needed for lithium batteries for your phone, your computer, and for electric vehicles.
So I have collected a bit of lithium-rich rock from Southwest England, and I want to find out what we need to do to turn this bit of rock into a battery by doing some simple experiments with inexpensive materials.
Today, I am going to do an experiment to get the lithium-bearing mineral (lithium mica or lepidolite) out of this rock by a process called 'froth flotation'.
I am using carbonated 'fizzy' mineral water to give the bubbles. To make the micas strongly hydrophobic ('water-hating') I am using ordinary fabric softener, with the active ingredient being the cationic surfactants, as the 'collector chemical'. All this works best at pH between 2 and 3, hence the little bit of 1M sulphuric acid added.URL https://youtu.be/roTGa0v9k1A Persons Arjan Henry Dijkstra Title Froth flotation of lithium mica (short) Degree of recognition International Media name/outlet Youtube Media type Web Country/Territory Netherlands Date 8/10/20 URL https://youtu.be/XpUtwOB-Hx4 Persons Arjan Henry Dijkstra