243 Critical Mineral Resources and Recovery in the Americas: Emerging Methods in Exploration and Sustainable Extraction, Part I

This session explores the role of critical minerals in technology and the low-carbon economy, focusing on geological discoveries, sustainable extraction methods, and recycling to support secure, environmentally responsible mineral supply chains in the Americas.

Wednesday, 22 October 2025
8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
HBGCC, 217A

Lithium in Clay: Contents and Characterization by the Tessier Method of Sequential Extraction

Paper number: 243-10
Program: Technical Sessions
Time: 10:25 AM – 10:40 AM

Authors

Abstract

Global lithium demand is projected to increase twofold by 2040, driven primarily by the rise of electric vehicles and other renewable energy technologies. Existing hard rock and brine sources are unlikely to meet all this demand, underscoring the need to develop alternative sources such as lithium-rich clay deposits. Efficient extraction from these deposits requires a detailed understanding of their mineralogical and geochemical characteristics. This study examines lithium concentrations and modes of occurrence in eleven samples that contain lithium-bearing clays, from four sites in the western United States. To characterize the samples, mineralogical analyses were conducted using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), and total lithium content was measured following HNO₃/H₂O₂/HF digestion and analysis by ICP-MS. Lithium leachability was assessed using the Tessier sequential extraction method. Smectite crystallite size was estimated from XRD patterns using the Scherrer equation. We found that total lithium concentrations ranged from 400 to 2,600 mg/kg, with the residual (non-leachable) fraction comprising 42% to 97% of the total. While no correlation was found between total lithium content and the proportion in the residual fraction, both total lithium and residual lithium concentrations were positively correlated with smectite crystallite size, with the largest crystallites containing, and retaining, the most lithium. A better understanding of the sample mineralogy and leaching characteristics could lead to potentially cleaner and lower cost extraction methods.

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 57, No. 6

doi: 10.1130/abs/2025AM-414538

© Copyright 2025 The Geological Society of America (GSA), all rights reserved. Permission is hereby granted to the author(s) of this abstract to reproduce and distribute it freely, for noncommercial purposes. Permission is hereby granted to any individual scientist to download a single copy of this electronic file and reproduce up to 20 paper copies for noncommercial purposes advancing science and education, including classroom use, providing all reproductions include the complete content shown here, including the author information. All other forms of reproduction and/or transmittal are prohibited without written permission from GSA Copyright Permissions.