Lithium

 

Lithium

Chemical formula	Li
Atomic Number	6
OTP appearance	silver solid
Molar Mass(g/mol)	6.997
Density(g/cc)	0.534
Melting Point(°C)	180.50
Boiling Point(°C)	1330
Solubility in water(g/L)	reacts
NFPA 704	0 0

Uses

Justification Questioned

Other

• Essential material of WHO LEM component lithium carbonate
• Essential material of some voltaic cell technologies

Natural Occurrence

• Elemental lithium does not occur naturally
• Mineral sources include spodumene, lepidolite, and petalite, amblygonite
• Some natural brines contain high concentrations of lithium in dissolved lithium compounds such as lithium carbonate

Production

Extraction

Electrolysis

• Electrolysis of a molten mixture of lithium chloride and potassium chloride. At a 45:55 ratio, they melt at 300°C. In the presence of oxygen and moisture in the air, the lithium will react.

  45 Li

  {55 KCl(s)

  →

  300°C, 9v}

  45 Li(l) + 45 Cl(g)