1. Where does lithium come from?
Lithium is a common chemical element, widely distributed in nature, due to its unstable chemical properties, resulting in its presence in nature usually in the form of lithium compounds, widely used in life, such as lithium batteries, digital products, aerospace and military communications. The following are the main sources of lithium
1.1 Hard Rock Lithium Ore
Currently, the main ores used to extract lithium are lithium pyroxene and lithium mica. The main methods of industrial lithium extraction are limestone roasting and sulfuric acid method. Limestone roasting method is to mix and grind the lithium ore and limestone, and then fully roasted at 800 ℃ environment, and then the lithium salt is extracted by water leaching method. Sulfuric acid method is in the lithium ore after roasting and grinding, the use of excess sulfuric acid and mineral mixing, and then in the environment of 250 ℃ roasting to the crude lithium sulfate solution and filtration, and then after the precipitation of lithium and evaporation and concentration can be obtained lithium carbonate.
1.2 Lithium brine
First of all, brine refers to the brine solution containing halogens. There are very rich reserves both underground and in salt lakes, such as the Charkhan Salt Lake area and Lake Sivash located in Ukraine. These brines are rich in lithium compounds and are one of the most important sources of lithium. By adding the appropriate substances to the brine to remove sodium chloride, magnesium chloride and other compounds in the brine, lithium compounds can be obtained, and then used in various industries.
1.3 Lithium extraction from seawater
Because of the low content of lithium in seawater, resulting in high extraction costs, so it is not applicable to industrial extraction. However, the laboratory extraction of lithium can be utilized in this method, which can also extract lithium compounds with lower purity.
1.4 Industrial waste liquid
Many factories in the production of some industrial products will be added to lithium compounds for refining the target product, or industrial raw materials containing lithium compounds, but the factory did not refine it, either of these cases will make the industrial wastewater lithium compounds, so that it can be used to extract lithium compounds through the secondary use of industrial waste liquid.
Summary
Lithium is an indispensable material for society, through the extraction and utilization of lithium compounds, can better make lithium for your service, promote the development and progress of this society.
