Minerals, lithium

McCumber parameter, 23 821 McDermitt caldera, lithium minerals in, 15 124... 

Lithium ranks 33rd among the most abundant elements found on Earth. It does not exist in pure metallic form in nature because it reacts with water and air. It is always combined with other elements in compound forms. These lithium mineral ores make up only about 0.0007%, or about 65 ppm, of the Earth s crust. 

Edward Daniel Clarke, 1769-1822. English mineralogist and traveler One of the founders of the Cambridge Philosophical Society. One of the first chemists to analyze the lithium mineral petalite. His Travels m Various Countries of Europe, Asia, and Africa contains intimate glimpses of many con-tempoiary scientists and their laboratories. See ref. (49). 

Wilhelm Hisinger, 1766-1852. Swedish mineralogist and geologist. Owner of the famous Riddarhytta mining property in Vestmanland, where cerite was discovered. He was one of the first to analyze the lithium mineral petalite. 

Amblygonite occurs m pegmatite dikes and veins associated with other lithium minerals. It is used as a source of lithium salts. The name is derived from two Gieek woids meaning blunt and angle, in reference to its cleavage angle of 75°30/. 

Khlopin, V. G., and Sh. A. Abidov Radioactivity and helium content of beryllium, boron and lithium minerals, of the USSR. Compt. rend, acad. sci. URSS 32, 637 (1941). 

In 2008, the world s largest consumer of lithium minerals and compounds was the United States. The major producer of lithium chemicals worldwide was Chile. Other countries involved in lithium production included Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Portugal, the United States, and Zimbabwe. Specific information on U.S. production was not released in order to preserve trade secrets. 

Lithium carbonate Lithium carbonate is industrially the most important lithium compound and the starting material for most of the other lithium salts. It is formed in the processing of lithium minerals and brines. Enriched and calcined lithium ore (spodumene) is digested e.g. with... 

Mining of lithium minerals in the United States has recently developed rapidly. In 1919 a total of 6287 short tons were produced valued at 115,000. This was more than 10 times as much as was produced in any year preceding 1916. In 1920 the production totaled 11,696 short tons, valued at 173,000. Lepidolite from Pala, California, and spodumene from Keystone, South Dakota, were the chief ores. 

As the oceans of the world contain about 10 kg of deuterium and resources of lithium minerals are of comparable magnitude, it is clear that if this fusion reaction could be utilized in a practical nuclear reactor, the world s energy resources would be enormously increased. Although intensive research is being conducted on confinement of thermonuclear plasmas, it is not yet clear whether a practical and economic fusion reactor can be developed. If fusion does become practical, isotope separation processes for extracting deuterium from natural water and for concentrating from natural lithium will become of importance comparable to the separation of U from natural uranium. 

Lithium minerals fall into two general classes phosphates and complex aluminum silicates. The lithium minerals listed in Table I are known to occur in North America. 

Inorganic salts Iron Lithium Mineral acids Potassium... 

The biggest lithium reserves are located in the so-called lithium triangle on the continent of South America where Chile, Argentina tind Bolivia border on each other. Another big occurrence of lithium brines is in China. Considerable lithium mineral reserves can be foimd in Australia, Canada, the USA and China. The other lithium-producing countries such as Portugal and Zimbabwe have few lithium reserves. 

From an economic point of view, today the majority of lithium-carbonate production comes from lithium-rich brines spodumene and, to a lesser extent, petahte ore concentrates are only mined for use in the glass and ceramic industries. Five major companies control the world s supply of lithium-mineral concentrates. 

Table 4.3. Major producers of lithium mineral concentrates (2002)...

Table 4.11. Prices of lithium minerals and chemicals Lithium mineral or chemical Price 2006...

According to a report by Roskill Information Services published in 2003, the lithium market is characterized by a high degree of consolidation. Actually, three major producers—Sons of Gwalia in Australia, Tanco in Canada, and Bikita Minerals in Zimbabwe—represent the major lithium mineral producers, while Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile SA (SQM) and Sociedad Chilena de Litio (SCL) control the world s supply of lithium carbonate, and Chemetall GmbH of Germany and FMC Corp. of the USA dominate the manufacture of lithium metal and hthium chemicals. 

Table 4.12. Major lithium mineral concentrate producers...

Rubidium was first discovered in 1861 by two German chemists, R.W. Bunsen and G. Kirchoff, at the University of Heidelberg, who identified the new element in the lithium mineral lepi-dolite using the spectroscope. Later, the pure metal was prepared in 1928 by Hackspill. 

Lepidolite. A lithium mineral, approximating to LiKAIp2Si304 sp. gr. 2.9 m.p. 1170 C. The largest deposits are in Rhodesia but it also occurs in USA the average Li20 content is about 4%. Lepidolite is a source of Li for special glasses, pottery bodies and glazes, and vitreous enamels account must be taken of its F content. 

Lithium Minerals. See amblygonite, EUCRYPTITE, LEPIDOLITE, PETALITE, SPODUMENE. 

Petalite. A lithium mineral, Li20.Al203.8Si02 sp. gr. 2.45 m.p. 1350°C. The chief sources are Rhodesia and S. W. Africa. Normally it is a less economical source of Li20 than is SPODUMENE (q.v.) but it is usually free from iron compounds. A major use is in... 

Hummel F.A., "Thermal Expansion Properties of Some Synthetic Lithium Minerals," J. Am. Ceram. Soc., 34, 235-39 (1951). 

The use of lithium in glass and ceramics applications is continuing to expand throughout the world because of the increased durability it imparts to the glass or ceramic product. Some glass and ceramics manufacturers use lithium carbonate, but lithium minerals are preferred because of the additional alumina and silica contained in the mineral product. Petalite is particularly desirable because of its very low iron content Addition of lithium lowers melting points and reduces the coefficient of... 

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