What is involved in lithium production?

Lithium is a soft, alkaline metal element produced from salts extracted from mineral springs and naturally occurring solan deposits. Much of the lithium production in the world is achieved using a relatively simple natural process of concentration of solutions of lithium salt, followed by evaporation and improvement. The refinement process is usually produced by lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide in granulated form. The solid, metal presentation of the element is produced by the electrolysis process including fusion of lithium chloride and potassium chloride. Regardless of its highly unstable elementary nature, the production of lithium compounds with many practical uses, including components in automotive batteries, lubricants and pharmaceutical products. At least in this format, lithium shows highly unstable and flammable nails typical for all alkaline metals, and therefore it is necessary to store it in the oil. However, it is very useful in other forms and is used as part in a wide range of productionsktů. Lithium does not occur in its elementary form freely and occurs in ion compounds found in a number of pegmatitic minerals. These include the waters of mineral springs and the ocean, as well as the natural deposits of the brine and clay.

One of these natural sources is salt flats, with Chile and Argentina being one of the largest producers of the element in the world. The nature of these sources means that the initial phase of lithium production is a simple process of concentration and evaporation. This occurs in large ponds with a brine concentration, where the total concentration of suspended lithium allows approximately six percent to evaporate water from the suspension. Once the concentration of ED is achieved, the brine is pumped into plants producing carbonate products of lithium and hydroxide. In most processes, potassium ponds are placed together with ponds with potassium chloride productionLand in parallel with lithium production.

Lithium carbonate and hydroxide are then distributed for use in a wide range of industrial and medical applications. These include the production of automotive batteries, high-quality lubricants such as lithium fat and several pharmaceutical products, including mood drugs used to treat depression and schizo-afective disorders. They are also used in the production of ceramic and glass products, components of air cleaning and electronic components. The highly unstable elementary metal form of lithium found in most laboratories is produced by an electrolytic process where lithium and potassium chlorides are fused and not conventional lithium production.