Menu
Home Explore People Places Arts History Plants & Animals Science Life & Culture Technology
On this page
Lithium hydroxide
Chemical compound

Lithium hydroxide is an inorganic compound with the formula LiOH. It can exist as anhydrous or hydrated, and both forms are white hygroscopic solids. They are soluble in water and slightly soluble in ethanol. Both are available commercially. While classified as a strong base, lithium hydroxide is the weakest known alkali metal hydroxide.

Related Image Collections Add Image
Profiles
1 Image
We don't have any YouTube videos related to Lithium hydroxide yet.
We don't have any PDF documents related to Lithium hydroxide yet.
We don't have any Books related to Lithium hydroxide yet.

Production

The preferred feedstock is hard-rock spodumene, where the lithium content is expressed as % lithium oxide.

Lithium carbonate route

Lithium hydroxide is often produced industrially from lithium carbonate in a metathesis reaction with calcium hydroxide:1

Li2CO3 + Ca(OH)2 → 2 LiOH + CaCO3

The initially produced hydrate is dehydrated by heating under vacuum up to 180 °C.

Lithium sulfate route

An alternative route involves the intermediacy of lithium sulfate:23

α-spodumene → β-spodumene β-spodumene + CaO → Li2O + ... Li2O + H2SO4 → Li2SO4 + H2O Li2SO4 + 2 NaOH → Na2SO4 + 2 LiOH

The main by-products are gypsum and sodium sulphate, which have some market value.

Commercial setting

According to Bloomberg, Ganfeng Lithium Co. Ltd.4 (GFL or Ganfeng)5 and Albemarle were the largest producers in 2020 with around 25kt/y, followed by Livent Corporation (FMC) and SQM.6 Significant new capacity is planned, to keep pace with demand driven by vehicle electrification. Ganfeng are to expand lithium chemical capacity to 85,000 tons, adding the capacity leased from Jiangte, Ganfeng will become the largest lithium hydroxide producer globally in 2021.7

Albemarle's Kemerton, Western Australia plant, originally planned to deliver 100kt/y has been scaled back to 50kt/y.8

In 2020 Tianqi Lithium's, plant in Kwinana, Western Australia was the largest producer, with a capacity of 48kt/y.9

Applications

Lithium-ion batteries

Lithium hydroxide is mainly consumed in the production of cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries such as lithium cobalt oxide (LiCoO2) and lithium iron phosphate. It is preferred over lithium carbonate as a precursor for lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxides.10

Grease

A popular lithium grease thickener is lithium 12-hydroxystearate, which produces a general-purpose lubricating grease due to its high resistance to water and usefulness at a range of temperatures.

Carbon dioxide scrubbing

Main article: Carbon dioxide scrubber

Lithium hydroxide is used in breathing gas purification systems for spacecraft, submarines, and rebreathers to remove carbon dioxide from exhaled gas by producing lithium carbonate and water:11

2 LiOH·H2O + CO2 → Li2CO3 + 3 H2O

or

2 LiOH + CO2 → Li2CO3 + H2O

The latter, anhydrous hydroxide, is preferred for its lower mass and lesser water production for respirator systems in spacecraft. One gram of anhydrous lithium hydroxide can remove 450 cm3 of carbon dioxide gas. The monohydrate loses its water at 100–110 °C.

Precursor

Lithium hydroxide, together with lithium carbonate, is a key intermediates used for the production of other lithium compounds, illustrated by its use in the production of lithium fluoride:12

LiOH + HF → LiF + H2O

Other uses

It is also used in ceramics and some Portland cement formulations, where it is also used to suppress ASR (concrete cancer).13

Lithium hydroxide (isotopically enriched in lithium-7) is used to alkalize the reactor coolant in pressurized water reactors for corrosion control.14 It is good radiation protection against free neutrons.

Price

In 2012, the price of lithium hydroxide was about US$5–6/kg.15

In December 2020, it had risen to $9/kg16

On 18 March 2021, the price had risen to $11.50/kg17

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lithium hydroxide.

References

  1. Wietelmann U, Bauer RJ (2000). "Lithium and Lithium Compounds". Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry. Weinheim: Wiley-VCH. doi:10.1002/14356007.a15_393. ISBN 3-527-30673-0. 3-527-30673-0 ↩

  2. "Proposed Albemarle Plant Site" (PDF). Albemarle. Retrieved 4 December 2020. https://www.albemarle.com/storage/wysiwyg/alb_kemerton_literature_051618_a4_fnl.pdf ↩

  3. "Corporate presentation" (PDF). Nemaska Lithium. May 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 October 2021. Retrieved 5 December 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20211023105539/https://www.nemaskalithium.com/assets/documents/docs/NMX_CorporatePresentation_May.pdf ↩

  4. "China's Ganfeng to Be Largest Lithium Hydroxide Producer". BloombergNEF. 10 September 2020. Retrieved 4 December 2020. https://about.bnef.com/blog/chinas-ganfeng-to-be-largest-lithium-hydroxide-producer/ ↩

  5. "Ganfeng Lithium Group". Ganfeng Lithium. Retrieved 25 March 2021. http://www.ganfenglithium.com/about1_en.html ↩

  6. "China's Ganfeng to Be Largest Lithium Hydroxide Producer". BloombergNEF. 10 September 2020. Retrieved 4 December 2020. https://about.bnef.com/blog/chinas-ganfeng-to-be-largest-lithium-hydroxide-producer/ ↩

  7. "China's Ganfeng to Be Largest Lithium Hydroxide Producer". BloombergNEF. 10 September 2020. Retrieved 4 December 2020. https://about.bnef.com/blog/chinas-ganfeng-to-be-largest-lithium-hydroxide-producer/ ↩

  8. Stephens, Kate; Lynch, Jacqueline (27 August 2020). "Slowing demand for lithium sees WA's largest refinery scaled back". ABC.net.au. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-08-27/wa-lithium-refinery-hiring-fewer-workers-than-expected/12599184 ↩

  9. "Largest of its kind lithium hydroxide plant launched in Kwinana". Government of Western Australia. 10 September 2019. Archived from the original on 17 February 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230217040250/https://www.mediastatements.wa.gov.au/Pages/McGowan/2019/09/Largest-of-its-kind-lithium-hydroxide-plant-launched-in-Kwinana.aspx ↩

  10. Barrera, Priscilla (27 June 2019). "Will Lithium Hydroxide Really Overtake Lithium Carbonate? | INN". Investing News Network. Retrieved 5 December 2020. https://investingnews.com/daily/resource-investing/battery-metals-investing/lithium-investing/will-lithium-hydroxide-overtake-lithium-carbonate/ ↩

  11. Jaunsen JR (1989). "The Behavior and Capabilities of Lithium Hydroxide Carbon Dioxide Scrubbers in a Deep Sea Environment". US Naval Academy Technical Report. USNA-TSPR-157. Archived from the original on 2009-08-24. Retrieved 2008-06-17. https://web.archive.org/web/20090824104846/http://archive.rubicon-foundation.org/4998 ↩

  12. Wietelmann U, Bauer RJ (2000). "Lithium and Lithium Compounds". Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry. Weinheim: Wiley-VCH. doi:10.1002/14356007.a15_393. ISBN 3-527-30673-0. 3-527-30673-0 ↩

  13. Kawamura M, Fuwa H (2003). "Effects of lithium salts on ASR gel composition and expansion of mortars". Cement and Concrete Research. 33 (6): 913–919. doi:10.1016/S0008-8846(02)01092-X. OSTI 20658311. Retrieved 2022-10-17. https://www.osti.gov/biblio/20658311 ↩

  14. Managing Critical Isotopes: Stewardship of Lithium-7 Is Needed to Ensure a Stable Supply, GAO-13-716 // U.S. Government Accountability Office, 19 September 2013; pdf http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-13-716 ↩

  15. "Lithium Prices 2012". investingnews.com. Investing News Network. 14 June 2012. Archived from the original on 11 March 2018. Retrieved 12 April 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180311082731/https://investingnews.com/daily/resource-investing/energy-investing/lithium-investing/lithium-prices-2012/ ↩

  16. "London Metal Exchange: Lithium prices". London metal exchange. Retrieved 4 December 2020. https://www.lme.com/Metals/Minor-metals/Lithium-prices#tabIndex=0 ↩

  17. "LITHIUM AT THE LME". LME The London Metal Exchange. 18 March 2021. Retrieved 22 March 2021. https://www.lme.com/Metals/Minor-metals/Lithium-prices#tabIndex=0 ↩