Lithium

Kayla Thacker

History

Comes from the Greek word lithos which means “stone”

Discovered by Johann Arfvedson in 1817 when analyzing minerals from the island of Uto in Sweden

Isolated by W.T. Brande and Sir Humphrey Davy

Properties

State of Matter: Solid

Color: Silver

Melting Point: 453.65 K or 180.50 C

Cont’d

Boiling Point: 1615 K or 1342 C Density: 0.534 g per cubic centimeter

Stable Isotopes: 2 (Lithium-6 & Lithium-7)

-none of these isotopes have any important commercial value

Availability

Abundance of lithium in Earth’s crust is estimated to be about 0.005 percent

-places among the top 15 elements found in Earth

Does not occur free in nature, but found in small amounts of igneous rocks and in waters of mineral springs

Cont’d

People can get lithium if they are prescribed it for medical use or mine it out of the ground

Cost (pure): $27/100 g

Cost (bulk): $9.50/100 g

Uses

Pure lithium metal: -rechargeable lithium ion batteries

-as an alloy with Al, Cu, Mn & Cd to make high performance aircraft parts

-heat transfer applications

Compounds: Li2O, LiH, LiCl

Compound Uses

Lithium Stearate: transforms oil into lithium based lubricating greases (extensive use in automotive industry)

Lithium Carbonate : special glasses and ceramic glazes; mood stablelizing drug

Lithium chloride and bromide: brazing and welding fluxes, air conditioning systems

Lithium hydroxide: increase capacity of alkaline storage cells

Fun Fact

Number of lithium compounds have important medical uses

Lithium carbonate: treats gout, an illness characterized by painful swelling of joint; controls wild mood swings from depression (bipolar disorder)

Lithium bromide: induces sleep

Lithium Reacts with Water

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxhW7TtXIAM&feature=player_embedded

Works CitedChemiCool.”Lithium Element Facts.”2010. 8 Nov. 2010. It’s Elemental.”The Element Lithium.” 8 Nov. 2010. http://education.jlab.org/itselemental/ele003.html

Chemistry Explained.”Lithium”2010. * Nov. 2010. http://www.chemistryexplained.com/elements/L-P/Lithium.html

It’s Elemental.”The Element Lithium.” 8 Nov. 2010. http://education.jlab.org/itselemental/ele003.html

The Element Lithium.2005. 8 Nov. 2010. http://www.periodic-table.org.uk/element-lithium.htm