Between the most significant properties of lithium we find its high specific heat (calorific capacity), the huge temperature interval in the liquid state, high termic conductivity, low viscosity and very low density.
Lithium is a special type of metal as it is light and soft and exhibits so low density that it can float on water. The main feature of this metal is that it has the lowest melting point and the highest boiling point i.e. it can withstand a wide range of temperatures.
A soft, silvery metal. It has the lowest density of all metals. It reacts vigorously with water. The most important use of lithium is in rechargeable batteries for mobile phones, laptops, digital cameras and electric vehicles.
Lithium and its compounds have several industrial applications, including heat-resistant glass and ceramics, lithium grease lubricants, flux additives for iron, steel and aluminium production, lithium metal batteries, and lithium-ion batteries.
However, the low redox potential of lithium metal renders it prone to corrosion, which must be thoroughly understood for it to be used in practical energy-storage devices.
The minimum lifespan most manufacturers expect from lithium-ion batteries is around 5 years or at least 2,000 charging cycles. But, if well cared for and used in proper conditions, lithium-ion batteries can last as long as 3,000 cycles.
The United States Geological Survey revealed that the world's identified lithium resources are estimated to be around 79 million metric tons, with the largest reserves in Chile, Argentina, and Australia. The estimated amount of lithium needed to meet current demand is only between 0.5 – 1.3 million tons.
Lithium is a soft, silver to grayish-white (or yellow if exposed to air), odorless metal, crystalline mass or powder.
Alkali metals (lithium, sodium, potassium) are so soft that they can be cut with a knife.
Lithium is a naturally occurring element (number three on the periodic table) that was first discovered in 1817 and was found in mines in Australia and Chili. Its mood-stabilizing effects, however, were not recognized until late in that century.
Manufacturing of rechargeable batteries for electronics, electric vehicles, and grid storage is the largest global use for lithium, representing 74% of total demand.
Lithium can be described as the non-renewable mineral that makes renewable energy possible - often touted as the next oil. Lithium extraction inevitably harms the soil and causes air contamination.
Similarly, larger fluctuations in the global lithium price (from $0 to $25/kg from a baseline of $7.50 per kg of Li2CO3) do not change the cost of lithium ion cells by more than 10%.
The process of extracting lithium consumes significant amounts of water and energy, and lithium mining can pollute the air and water with chemicals and heavy metals. In addition, mining lithium can disrupt wildlife habitats and cause soil erosion, leading to long-term ecological damage.
Hence, Lithium is not a rare earth mineral.
Seawater contains 230 billion tons of lithium, compared to just 21 million tons in conventional land-based reserves. Lihytech estimates that extracting just 0.1 per cent of all lithium from seawater would be enough to meet humanity's technology needs.
In 2022, the average price of battery-grade lithium carbonate was estimated at 37,000 U.S. dollars per metric ton.
Lithium was initially used to treat depression, gout, and neutropenia, and for cluster headache prophylaxis, but it fell out of favor because of its adverse effects. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned the use of lithium in the 1940s because of fatalities but lifted the ban in 1970.
Lithium: the lightest of all metals
A highly reactive and inflammable element, lithium (Li) is the first alkali metal in the periodic table which consists of elements such as sodium (Na).
Lithium, which exhibits no natural radioactivity, has two isotopes of mass number 6 (92.5 percent) and 7 (7.5 percent).