1. Lithium is part of the alkali metals in the group
of chemical elements. The atomic number of
lithium is 3 and it is represented on the
periodic table under the symbol Li. It is
silver-white in color and soft. Lithium in
standard conditions has the lowest density of
all solid elements and is also the lightest of
the metals. As with all of the alkali metals,
lithium is extremely flammable and reactive.
This is why it is usually stored in mineral oil.
silver mining stocks
2. The high reactivity of lithium means that it does not occur freely in
nature and is only seen in compounds Typically these compounds
are ionic There are a number of pegmatitic minerals that contain
lithium However, because of its water solubility, it is found in the
ocean and usually gathered from clays and brines
3. For commercial use, lithium is electrolytically isolated from a mix of
potassium chloride and lithium chloride History In 1800, petalite,
was found by Jose Bonifacio de Andrada, a Brazilian It was found in
Uto, Sweden within a mine that is part of the island However, Johan
August Arfwedson discovered the new element in 1817 while
working in the lab of Jons Jakob Berzelius
4. The new element would form compounds that were similar to
compounds formed by potassium and sodium, but the hydroxide and
carbonate were not as soluble in water, it was also more alkaline
Berzelius named the material "lithionlithina" which comes from the
Greek word lithos that means stone This was to reflect that it had
been discovered in a solid mineral This was different than
potassium, which was discovered in the ashes of plants and sodium
that is highly abundant in the blood of animals
5. Production The production of lithium has increased greatly since
World War II ended Lithium salts are pulled from water in brine
pools, brine deposits, and from mineral springs The metal can then
be produced using electrolytic processes that use a combination of
potassium chloride and lithium chloride There are deposits of
lithium found throughout the Andes Mountains in South America
6. Chili is the top producer of lithium, with Argentina following Both of
these countries get the lithium from brine pools Within the United
States, there are brine pools in silver mining stocks Nevada that
lithium is recovered from Lithium Uses There are many different
uses of lithium
7. Lithium oxide can be used for improving the physical properties of
glass and ceramics Ovenware uses lithium oxides and is the largest
use for lithium compounds throughout the world In the late part of
the 20th century, lithium became an important anode material that is
used for making lithiumion batteries The high electrochemical
potential of lithium allows it to generate around 3 volts of energy
compared to 2
8. 1 volts that are generated from lead/acid batteries or the 1 5 volts
generated from zinc-carbon cells Lithium is also commonly used in
greases A strong base is made from lithium hydroxide, which can be
heated with fat to produce soap from the lithium stearate
9. The lithium soap can thicken oils, which is used for high
temperature, all purpose greases To find out more about the
chemical element lithium or lithium mining companies[ please visit
PublicMining org, a free resource directory showcasing public mining
companies [
