Mexican mining firm finds a huge lithium deposit

Posted Oct 11th 2009 1:40PM by Connie Madon
Filed under: Products and Services, Industry, Mexico, Commodities

What is lithium? It is a soft, silver-white metal that is a good conductor of both heat and electricity. Because of these properties, lithium is used in the manufacture of lithium-ion batteries. Lithium batteries generate 3 volts of electricity, compared to 1.5 volts for lead/acid or zinc cells.

Lithium is used primarily in the manufacture of car batteries for hybrid cars. These cars are becoming more popular, with the major domestic and foreign car makers using lithium batteries. Hence, lithium has become a highly sought-after commodity.

Known deposits of lithium are found mainly in Chile, which has a base reserve of 7,520,000 metric tons, and Argentina, with a base reserve of 6,000,000 metric tons.

Now, the Mexican mining firm Piero Sutti SA de CV has discovered a lithium deposit that could produce 10,000 to 12,000 tons a year.

Company owner Martin Sutti says that deposits are in the northern states of Zacatecas and San Luis Potosi. He says that a pilot plant could be up and running by late 2010.

So now, Mexico can become a player in the growing and lucrative lithium market, along with Chile and Argentina.

Tags: Argentina, car batteries, Chile, lithium, Mexico

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

10-11-2009 @ 6:33PM

Michael said...

Great news of course to find a substance that can generate jobs and of course $$$$. Bad news for the mining company though. Mexico is as socialist and corrupt as they come in this world and it won't take long for the Mexican government to take the mining rights as their own and a lesson to those who even announce anything in Mexico. Like before the Olympics back in the sixties, the then president had thousands of disident students and others murdered and no one in the media ever really said much about it.. just accepted it like today in America where Obummer of course traveled to Mexico to learn their ways of nationalizing natural resources and more to apply his agenda in socializing America. To even taking lessons from Castro and Chavez so he can improve his thinking and plans to take over the US and destroy it from Washington using his political party. Lithium is just one item to be robbed.........by the "politicos" of Mexico and here,,,,,,, our country. and that is that.....no new news...

10-26-2009 @ 4:53AM

Paul H said...

interesting to note some diversity coming into the lithium story, Bolivia was getting a lot of interest earlier in the year regards their Andean resources : http://bit.ly/30vBsr