Significance of Lithium

Lithium is the first member of the alkali metal family. The alkali metals are the
elements that make up Group 1 (IA) of the periodic table. The periodic table is a
chart that shows how chemical elements are related to one another. The alkali
metals include sodium, potassium, rubidium, cesium, and rancium. Lithium is also
the least dense of all metals. It has a density about half that of water.

Lithium does not occur as the metal in nature, but is found combined in small
amounts in nearly all igneous rocks and in the waters of many mineral springs.
Spodumene, petalite, lepidolite, and amblygonite are the more important minerals
containing lithium.

There are interesting facts about Lithium. Although it is a metal, it is soft enough to
cut with a knife. It is so light it can float on water. Lithium fires are difficult to put
out. You can't use water as water will react with the lithium and could make the fire
worse. A powder fire extinguisher is needed. Along with hydrogen and helium,
lithium was one of the three elements produced in large quantities by the Big Bang.
When burning, lithium gives off a bright red flame. Because it is the lightest metal,
it can be alloyed with other metals such as aluminum and copper to make strong
lightweight metals. Lithium hydroxide can be used to purify air and remove carbon
dioxide in spacecraft and submarines.

Lithium is used in a variety of applications. Probably the one you are most familiar
with is lithium batteries. Around 27% of lithium used for industry is used in
batteries. Another major application is in the manufacture of ceramics and glass.
Other applications include lubricating greases, high performance aircraft materials,
and anti-depression drugs.

Products produced from the Lithium

There are interesting facts about Lithium. Although it is a metal, it is soft enough to
cut with a knife. It is so light it can float on water. Lithium fires are difficult to put
out. You can't use water as water will react with the lithium and could make the fire
worse. A powder fire extinguisher is needed. Along with hydrogen and helium,
lithium was one of the three elements produced in large quantities by the Big Bang.
When burning, lithium gives off a bright red flame. Because it is the lightest metal,
it can be alloyed with other metals such as aluminum and copper to make strong
lightweight metals. Lithium hydroxide can be used to purify air and remove carbon
dioxide in spacecraft and submarines.

Lithium has a number of important and interesting uses. In recent years, it has
been used to make lightweight, efficient batteries. Compounds of lithium have also
been used to treat a mental disorder known as bipolar disorder.

It's used in aircraft manufacture and in certain batteries. It's also used in mental
health: Lithium carbonate is a common treatment of bipolar disorder, helping to
stabilize the wild mood swings caused by the illness.

Lithium is used for mental illnesses, including bipolar disorder, depression, and
schizophrenia; for eating disorders, including anorexia and bulimia; and for blood
disorders, including anemia and low white-cell count (neutropenia).
Lithium metal and its compounds have a great many uses. Two of the most
significant applications are in the glass and ceramics field and in the production of
aluminum. The addition of a small amount of lithium carbonate (Li 2CO3) to a glass
or ceramic makes the material stronger. Examples of the use of lithium carbonate
are shock-resistant cookware (such as the Pyrex brand) and black-and-white
television tubes. About 40 percent of the lithium used in the United States in 1996
went to these applications.

Lithium carbonate is added to glass to make it stronger. Pyrex cookware is

made up of this kind of glass.

Producers of aluminum also use lithium carbonate in preparing aluminum

metal from aluminum oxide. Lithium carbonate reduces the heat needed to
make the reaction occur. As a result, producers save money by using less
energy. In 1996, about 20 percent of all lithium carbonate produced in the
United States went to this application.

Lithium stearate is added to petroleum to make a thick lubricating grease. The

grease is used in many industrial applications because it does not break down at
high temperatures, it does not become hard when cooled, and it does not react
with water or oxygen in the air. Lithium greases are used in military, industrial,
automotive, aircraft, and marine applications. Lithium stearate is also used as an
additive in cosmetics and plastics. Overall, the manufacture of lithium stearate is
the third most important use of lithium compounds after glasses and ceramics
manufacture and aluminum production.

The first commercial use of lithium was in the production of alloys. An alloy is made
by melting and mixing two or more metals. The mixture has properties different
from those of the individual metals. Early lithium alloys included lead and were
used to make tough ball bearings for machinery.