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Lithium

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Introduction

Lithium is a soft, silvery-white metal known for its high electrochemical potential, making it essential in battery manufacturing. It is primarily sourced from spodumene ore or lithium-rich brine deposits. The leading producers of lithium are Australia, Chile, and China. Lithium is mainly used in rechargeable batteries, glass, ceramics, and lubricants.

What lithium types are frequently traded on Metalshub?

Sub-Category Abbreviation Core Content Range Size Range 
Battery-Grade Lithium Carbonate BG – Li2CO3 Li2CO3 99.3-100% 0-0.02 mm 
Battery-Grade Lithium Hydroxide BG LiOH.H2O Various n/a 
Spodumene Concentrate Spodumene Conc. Li2O 5-9% 0-0.125 mm 
Technical-Grade Lithium Carbonate TG – Li2CO3 Various n/a 

Please note that the above listed sub-categories including its core content and size ranges are just a snapshot of Metalshub’s currently traded raw materials. We are adding new sub-categories on a monthly basis and would be happy to assess your specific requirements to this category.

How can Metalshub help in buying and selling lithium?

Metalshub provides producers and consumers of lithium with a software solution to improve the way they buy or sell it. Our software connects over 2,000 companies in a joint trading network. This allows sellers to discover new buyers of lithium and buyers to discover new suppliers of lithium.

For buyers, Metalshub’s Procurement Solution allows battery cell manufacturers, battery recyclers and others to digitalise their procurement process in order to increase sourcing efficiency, ensure compliant buying, and take data-driven decisions.

For sellers, Metalshub’s Sales Solution allows miners, traders, and other sellers to digitalise their sales process, manage inventory, conduct price discovery events, and optimise their sales book.

What is the price of lithium?

Several institutions provide pricing data for lithium:

  1. Benchmark Mineral Intelligence: Benchmark Minerals specialises in tracking journalistic prices for battery materials, including lithium, with a focus on the energy transition and EV markets​ (Benchmark Minerals).
  2. Shanghai Metals Market (SMM): SMM tracks journalistic lithium prices, including lithium carbonate and hydroxide, with a focus on the Chinese market, a major player in the global battery supply chain ​(Metal.com).
  3. Fastmarkets: Fastmarkets offers journalistic price assessments for lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide, key to the battery and electric vehicle industries ​(Fastmarkets).

Beyond these three examples, other providers may also provide prices.

What are the key countries of origin for lithium?

The top producers of lithium include:

  • Australia – ~50% of global production, focusing on hard rock lithium mining
  • Chile – ~20%, extracting lithium from vast brine deposits
  • China – ~10% of global production
  • Argentina – ~10%, contributing to the lithium market with its large brine resources
  • United States – ~5%, primarily focused on domestic consumption of lithium

Who are some of the key producers of lithium?

Some of the key producers of lithium include: <ul> <li>Albemarle (USA) – ~20% of global lithium production</li> <li>SQM (Chile) – ~20%, of global lithium production</li> <li>Tianqi Lithium (China) – ~15% of global lithium production</li> <li>Ganfeng Lithium (China) – ~10% of global lithium production</li> <li>Arcardium (Rio Tinto) (USA) – ~10% of global lithium production</li> </ul>

How is lithium mined and produced?

Lithium is extracted from two primary sources: hard rock spodumene ore and lithium-rich brine deposits. Spodumene is mined, crushed, and then processed to extract lithium concentrate, while brine is pumped to the surface and evaporated, leaving lithium-rich salts behind. The lithium is refined into compounds such as lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide, which are used in battery production.

What is lithium used for?

Lithium is predominantly used in rechargeable batteries (~60%), particularly in lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles and electronics. It is also used in glass and ceramics (~15%) to improve durability and thermal resistance, and in lubricants (~10%) for its high-temperature stability. Battery-grade lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide are critical for the production of high-performance batteries.