ZELA

Image credit: ZELA Of the more than 145 minerals that contain lithium, only five—spodumene, lepidolite, petalite, amblygonite, and eucryptite—are primarily utilized in lithium extraction. Among these, spodumene is the most significant, accounting for the largest share of mineral-derived lithium. In 2011, spodumene produced approximately 12,500 tons of lithium, while the remaining sources combined contributed about 1,500 tons.