The Lithium deposit at Polokhiv, Ukraine

The strategic importance of lithium (Li) as a critical raw material for the global energy transition has tremendously increased in recent years. Several Li-bearing ore deposits have been identified in Ukraine, predominantly within the Ukrainian Shield and commonly associated with rare-metal pegmatites. The Polokhiv deposit, located in the central part of Ukraine within the Korsun-Novomyrhorod pluton, remains underexplored. To date, three ore zones have been delineated. Lithium mineralization at Polokhiv hosted in fine-grained microcline-petalite-albite metasomatites, with petalite accounting for estimated 95 wt.% of the total Li content.

Previous studies identified three morphological and textural generations of petalite. Generation I comprises coarse-grained crystals (up to 4 cm) intergrown with albite and microcline in an albite-microcline-petalite pegmatite. Generation II consist of micro-grained quartz-petalite aggregates that replace primary albite and microcline; symplectitic intergrowth of petalite with albite relics are also observed. Generation III is characterized by thin veinlets of petalite crosscutting the newly formed porphyry-like microcline. Preliminary tests have confirmed the potential suitability of using these ores for Li extraction.

Open questions concerning the genesis of the Li resources of Polokhiv deposit and the mechanisms of Li incorporation into ore- and rock-forming minerals will be addressed within a German-Ukrainian research collaboration between the Technische Universität Berlin and the National Academy of Science of Ukraine. Resolving these issues is essential for improving quantification of Li resources and for the development of efficient and sustainable Li extraction strategies.