More on "Energy X" and their nanotechnology proposed solution for using slective membranes to decrease the time it takes to harvest lithium from lithium brine and to increase the per cent of extraction of available lithium in the brine from 30% to 90%.  It is a slick presentation, maybe a little too slick?  At any rate they are one of the many companies out there working on decreasing the time of processing lithium brine and also working on increasing the per cent extracted, efficiency of extraction.  

Another factor with the lithium extraction is the amount of water it takes to produce one ton of lithium product, usually lithium carbonate.  With present methods it takes a tremendous amount of water and that can create all sorts of problems.

https://energyx.com/blog/energy-exploration-technologies-10-year-master-plan/