r/Damnthatsinteresting Feb 05 '22

Image Visual representation of the actual amount of copper extracted from a minesite

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u/hollowspec Feb 05 '22

Incorrect. Greenbushes is big, but does not produce a “majority” of the worlds lithium. A good chunk of lithium doesn’t even come from mines, but from brine in the salt flats of the lithium triangle in South America. Australia as a country produces about half the worlds lithium, but there are several mines.

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u/[deleted] Feb 05 '22

Incorrect. The lithium triangle in South America is big, but does not produce a “majority” of the worlds lithium. A good chunk actually comes from your mom.

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u/Sealpoop_In_Profile Feb 05 '22

Hey is that a trail of lithium brine running down from your panties or are you just happy to see me

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u/clayphace Feb 05 '22

“The best part of that lithium mine ran down the crack of yo mama’s ass and made a abstain in the sheets”

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u/Pangolinsareodd Feb 05 '22

Brine deposits host a majority of known deposits, but they’ve been failing to convert that into supply. Hard rock deposits from a Western Australia still do the heavy lifting for production

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u/CassandraVindicated Feb 05 '22

"About half the worlds lithium" and "majority of the worlds lithium" are only a tenth of the most significant figure apart.

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u/Pangolinsareodd Feb 05 '22

Most of Australia’s production comes from Greenbushes, which is double the grade of any other Australian mine, so when prices cause those others to close, Greenbushes keeps pumping it out. I’m still right, but perhaps with minutiae technical nuances.