Lithium

Main article: Isotopes of lithium
iso	NA	half-life
⁶Li	7.5%	Li is neutrons
⁷Li	92.5%	Li is neutrons
⁶Li content may be as low as 3.75% in natural samples. ⁷Li would therefore have a content of up to 96.25%.

References

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Lithium (air to form a black tarnish. For this reason, lithium metal is typically stored under the cover of oil.

According to theory, Lithium (mostly ⁷Li) was one of the few elements synthesized in the Big Bang, although its quantity has vastly decreased. The reasons for its disappearance and the processes by which new lithium is created continue to be important matters of study in astronomy. Lithium is the 33rd most abundant element on Earth,^[1] but due to its high potassium chloride.

Trace amounts of lithium are present in the oceans and in some organisms, though the element serves no apparent biological function in humans. Nevertheless, the neurological effect of the lithium ion Li⁺ makes some lithium fusion fuel in staged thermonuclear weapons.

History and etymology

lepidolite. In 1818, Christian Gmelin was the first to observe that lithium salts give a bright red color in flame. However, both Arfwedson and Gmelin tried and failed to isolate the element from its salts.^[2]^[3]^[4]

The element was not isolated until 1821, when potassium chloride.^[2]^[6]

Properties

Like other carbonates and nitrides.^[7]

Lithium is soft enough to be cut with a knife, though this is more difficult than cutting sodium. The fresh metal has a silvery-white color which only remains untarnished in dry air.^[7] Lithium has about half the density of water, giving solid sticks of lithium metal the odd heft of a light-to-medium wood like pine. The metal floats highly in hydrocarbons; in the laboratory, jars of lithium are typically composed of black-coated sticks held down in hydrocarbon mechanically by the jar's lid and other sticks.

Lithium is greatly heat-resistant, possessing a low superconductive below 400 μK. This finding paves the way for further study of superconductivity, as lithium's atomic lattice is the simplest of all metals.

Chemistry

In moist air, lithium metal rapidly tarnishes to form a black coating of CO₂).^[7]

When placed over a flame, lithium gives off a striking crimson color, but when it burns strongly, the flame becomes a brilliant white. Lithium will ignite and burn in oxygen when exposed to water or water vapours. It is the only metal that reacts with nitrogen at room temperature.

Lithium metal is flammable and potentially explosive when exposed to air and especially water, though it is far less dangerous than other alkali metals in this regard. The lithium-water reaction at normal temperatures is brisk but not violent. Lithium fires are difficult to extinguish, requiring special chemicals designed to smother them (see sodium for details).

See also: Lithium compounds

Isotopes

Main article: Isotopes of lithium

Naturally occurring lithium is composed of two stable proton emission and has a half-life of 7.58043x10^-23 s.

⁷Li is one of the primordial elements or, more properly, primordial isotopes, produced in Big Bang nucleosynthesis (a small amount of ⁶Li is also produced in stars). Lithium isotopes fractionate substantially during a wide variety of natural processes, including mineral formation (chemical precipitation), iron in octahedral sites in clay minerals, where ⁶Li is preferred to ⁷Li, resulting in enrichment of the light isotope in processes of hyperfiltration and rock alteration.

The exotic ¹¹Li is known to exhibit a nuclear halo.

Natural occurrence

See also Lithium minerals.

Lithium is widely distributed on Earth and is the 33rd most abundant element;^[1] however, it does not naturally occur in elemental form due to its high reactivity. Estimates for crustal content range from 20 to 70 ppm by weight.^[7] In keeping with its name, lithium forms a minor part of petalite being the most commercially-viable mineral sources for the element.^[7]

Applications

Because of its solids, lithium is often used in heat transfer applications.

It is an important ingredient in electrochemical potential, light weight, and high current density.

Large quantities of lithium are also used in the manufacture of polymer synthesis.

Medical use

Main article: Lithium pharmacology

Lithium salts were used during the 19th century to treat gout. Lithium salts such as lithium carbonate (Li₂CO₃), lithium citrate, and antidepressant drugs. It is also sometimes prescribed as a preventive treatment for migraine disease and cluster headaches.

The active principle in these salts is the lithium ion Li⁺, which having a smaller diameter, can easily displace K⁺ and Na⁺ and even Ca⁺², in spite of its greater charge, occupying their sites in several critical neuronal enzymes and neurotransmitter receptors. Although Li⁺ cannot displace Mg²⁺ and Zn²⁺, because of these ions small size and greater charge (higher charge density, hence stronger bonding), when Mg⁺² or Zn⁺² are present in low concentrations, and Li⁺ is present in high concentrations, the latter can occupy sites normally occupied by Mg⁺² or Zn⁺² in various enzymes. Therapeutically useful amounts of lithium (0.6 to 1.2 mmol/l) are only slightly lower than toxic amounts (>1.5 mmol/l), so the blood levels of lithium must be carefully monitored during treatment to avoid toxicity. Therefore, in theory, coadministration of 400 IU vitamin D, 1 g magnesium citrate (not the insoluble oxide or carbonate), 15 mg Zn (as gluconate or piccolinate, not the insoluble oxide) and 1 pill of vitamin B complex a day, should potentiate the effect of Li,^{[citation needed]} in some cases allowing for the reduction of the therapeutic range to 0.5 to 0.9 mmol/l, of the daily dose of lithium carbonate and of the risk of toxicity.

Common side effects include muscle tremors, twitching, ataxia, hyperparathyroidism (bone loss, hypercalcemia, hypertension, etc,), kidney damage, nephrogenic diabetes insipidus (polyuria and polydipsia) and seizures. Many of the side-effects are a result caused by the increased elimination of potassium.

Other uses

desiccants.
Lithium stearate is a common all-purpose high-temperature lubricant.
Lithium is an organic compounds.
Lithium is used as a ceramics, enamels, and glass.
Lithium is sometimes used in glasses and ceramics including the glass for the 200-inch (5.08 m) telescope at Mt. Palomar.
manganese are used to make high performance aircraft parts.
Lithium niobate is used extensively in telecommunication products, such as mobile phones and optical modulators, for such components as resonant crystals. Lithium products are currently used in more than 60 percent of mobile phones.^[8]
The high non-linearity of lithium niobate also makes a good choice for non-linear optics applications.
Lithium deuteride was the fusion reaction that is relatively easy to achieve. Although details remain secret, lithium-6 deuteride still apparently plays a role in modern nuclear weapons, as a fusion material.
Metallic lithium and its complex rocket propellants^[3].
Lithium peroxide, lithium nitrate, lithium chlorate and lithium perchlorate are used and thought of as oxidizers in both rocket propellants and oxygen candles to supply submarines and space capsules with oxygen.^[9]
Lithium will be used to produce tritium in magnetically confined nuclear fusion reactors using deuterium and tritium as the fuel. Tritium does not occur naturally and will be produced by surrounding the reacting plasma with a 'blanket' containing lithium where neutrons from the deuterium-tritium reaction in the plasma will react with the lithium to produce more tritium. ⁶Li + n → ⁴He + ³H. Various means of doing this will be tested at the ITER reactor being built at Cadarache, France.
Lithium is used as a source for Be is formed, which undergoes spontaneous fission to form two alpha particles. This was the first man-made nuclear reaction, produced by Cockroft and Walton in 1929.
Lithium hydroxide (LiOH) is an important compound of lithium obtained from lithium carbonate (Li₂CO₃). It is a strong base, and when heated with a fat, it produces a lithium soap. Lithium soap has the ability to thicken oils and so is used commercially to manufacture lubricating greases. It is also an efficient and lightweight purifier of air. In confined areas, such as aboard spacecraft and submarines, the concentration of carbon dioxide can approach unhealthy or toxic levels. Lithium hydroxide absorbs the carbon dioxide from the air by reacting with it to form lithium carbonate. Any alkali hydroxide will absorb CO₂, but lithium hydroxide is preferred, especially in spacecraft applications, because of the low formula weight conferred by the lithium. Even better materials for this purpose include lithium peroxide (Li₂O₂) that, in presence of moisture, not only absorb carbon dioxide to form lithium carbonate, but also release oxygen. E.g. 2 Li₂O₂ + 2 CO₂ → 2 Li₂CO₃ + O₂.
Lithium metal is used as a reducing agent in some types of methamphetamine production, particularly in illegal amateur “meth labs.”

Production

Since the end of World War II, lithium metal production has greatly increased. The metal is separated from other elements in igneous mineral such as those above, and is also extracted from the water of mineral springs.

The metal is produced kg).^[10]

Chile is currently the leading lithium metal producer in the world, with Argentina next. Both countries recover the lithium from brine pools. In the United States lithium is similarly recovered from brine pools in Nevada.^[11]

China may emerge as a significant producer of brine-based lithium carbonate towards the end of this decade. Potential capacity of up to 45,000 tonnes per year could come on-stream if projects in Qinghai province and Tibet proceed.^{[citation needed]}

Precautions

Lithium metal, due to its alkaline tarnish, is corrosive and requires special handling to avoid skin contact. Breathing lithium dust or lithium compounds (which are often alkaline) can irritate the nose and throat; higher exposure to lithium can cause a build-up of fluid in the lungs, leading to pulmonary edema. The metal itself is usually less a handling hazard than the caustic hydroxide produced when it is in contact with moisture. Lithium should be stored in a non-reactive compound such as naphtha or a hydrocarbon.

Regulation

Some jurisdictions limit the sale of Birch reduction method, which employs solutions of alkali metals dissolved in anhydrous ammonia. However, the effectiveness of such restrictions in controlling illegal production of methamphetamine remains indeterminate and controversial.

Carriage and shipment of some kinds of lithium batteries may be prohibited aboard certain types of transportation (particularly aircraft), because of the ability of most types of lithium batteries to fully discharge very rapidly when short-circuited, leading to overheating and possible explosion. However, most consumer lithium batteries have thermal overload protection built-in to prevent this type of incident, or their design inherently limits short-circuit currents.

References

^ ^a ^b Krebs, Robert E. (2006). The History and Use of Our Earth's Chemical Elements : A Reference Guide. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 47-50. ISBN 0-313-33438-2.
^ ^a ^b Winter, Mark J. Chemistry : Periodic Table : lithium : historical information. Web Elements. Retrieved on August 19, 2007.
^ ^a ^b (2004) Encyclopedia of the Elements: Technical Data - History - Processing - Applications. Wiley, 287-300. ISBN 978-3527306664.
^ http://www.vanderkrogt.net/elements/elem/li.html
^ http://www.diracdelta.co.uk/science/source/t/i/timeline/source.html
^ http://www.echeat.com/essay.php?t=29195
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Kamienski et al. "Lithium and lithium compounds". Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Published online 2004. doi:10.1002/0471238961.1209200811011309.a01.pub2
^ Spring, Martin. "Two ways to play the lithium boom", MoneyWeek, 2007-01-08. Retrieved on 2007-08-19.
^ K. Ernst-Christian (2004). "Special Materials in Pyrotechnics: III. Application of Lithium and its Compounds in Energetic Systems". Propellants, Explosives, Pyrotechnics 29 (2): 67-80. doi:10.1002/prep.200400032.
^ Ober, Joyce A. Lithium (pdf) 77-78. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved on August 19, 2007.
^ Lithium. Los Alamos National Laboratory (December 15, 2003). Retrieved on August 19, 2007.