Lithium, the 3rd element in the Periodic Table, derives its name from Lithos, the Greek word for stone. At about half the density of water, Li is the lightest of all of the metals. It is silvery white, soft and is a rare metal because of its highly dispersed occurrence in the earthīs crust.
Economic concentrations of lithium occur in salts from surface and subsurface brines, and in granitic pegmatites in the lithium minerals petalite, spodumene, amblygonite, and lepidolite.
Lithium is a very powerful flux which results in accelerated melting performance and reduced energy costs amongst other benefits for the glass manufacturer. Normally, lithium is used as a high priced additive to the glass batch, but this product offers the lithium pre-mixed into a quartz-feldspar glass sand at minimal additional cost.
This property has a similar effect on ceramic fusion temperatures. In addition, the lithium substantially enhances the durability of the glass or ceramic product.
APPLICATIONS OF LITHIUM
Lithium has many uses as described below, but principal amongst them are its uses in the glass, ceramics and aluminum refining industries where it results in substantial energy savings. Lithium finds use as a metal, alloys, compounds and directly, in mineral form.
- Glass & Ceramics: The addition of lithium in petalite to glass and ceramic batch compositions results in substantial energy savings by lowering the melt temperature and accelerating the melt process. Lithium is also a key ingredient in production of zero-expansion (thermal shock resistant) glass, clay cookware, and glazes. These products include Pyrex glass, pyroceram stovetops, and Corningware products.
- Lithium batteries: Lithiumīs strongly ionic character is exploited in conventional and rechargeable long-life (Li-Ion) batteries used in laptop computers, cell phones, ipods and scientific equipment. A rapidly growing end use is in electric cars where as a source of electricity it is expected to replace alternative hydrogen storage devices in automobiles by the year 2010.
- Medicinal Uses: Lithium is widely used in anti-depression medications, and has also been used to remove uric acid from the body.
- Metallurgical: Lithium is used in the potlines in electrolytic refining of aluminum to substantially reduce the electrical costs of the process. Lithium metal, when added to aluminum, is also used to create a light strong aerospace alloy.
- Lubricants and Chemicals: Since the World War II, lithium has essentially replaced sodium in lubricants, resulting in waterproof greases. It is further used in the manufacture of neoprene rubber, air conditioning systems, and sanitation chemicals.
- Fusion Energy: Lithium will be the premium fuel in the future for pollution free electricity generation in fusion reactors and liquid lithium metalīs high specific heat capacity and low melting point make it the best coolant for a fusion reactor.
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Avalonīs Activities
Petalite, the most important of the lithium minerals for the glass and ceramic industries, occurs in Avalonīs very large granitic pegmatite deposit, the Big Whopper at Separation Rapids in Northwestern Ontario.
In addition to a pure petalite mineral product from the Big Whopper, Avalon has developed a new Lithium Feldspar product that is a natural blend of the petalite and a co-mingled feldspar that can provide the other major ingredients required by the glass and ceramic manufacturers. These include sodium feldspar, potassium feldspar, mica and quartz.
The material is easily produced due to the natural blending process and homogenization that occurred during a structural deformation endured by the pegmatite following its initial crystallization. For most glass applications, the ore simply requires crushing, grinding and magnetic separation of metallic mineral impurities to produce the lithium feldspar product. The material is screened to produce a coarse-grained (-40+200mesh) glass grade product and a fine-grained (-200mesh) ceramic grade product.
LINKS:
http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/lithium
www.webelements.com
