The majority of the world's battery-grade lithium is produced by one of two means: Mining & acid leaching from spodumene ores, i.e. LiAl(SiO₃)₂, producing lithium sulfate solution, which is then converted to battery-grade lithium carbonate or hydroxide via electrochemical processes.

How is lithium made?

Lithium metal is produced by electrolysis of a fused mixture of lithium and potassium chlorides. The lower melting point of the mixture (400–420 °C, or 750–790 °F) compared with that of pure lithium chloride (610 °C, or 1,130 °F) permits lower-temperature operation of the electrolysis.

Can lithium be created artificially?

Nuclear weapons manufacture and other nuclear physics applications are a major source of artificial lithium fractionation, with the light isotope ⁶Li being retained by industry and military stockpiles to such an extent that it has caused slight but measurable change in the ⁶Li to ⁷Li ratios in natural sources, such as ...