Review on the production of high-purity lithium metal

Abstract

The element of Li is one of the critical materials for the modern society, for instance, its most famous application in ubiquitous Li-ion batteries (LIBs). Furthermore, its pure form of...

Saving the Energy Loss in Lithium‐Mediated Nitrogen Fixation by Using a Highly Reactive Li3N Intermediate for C−N Coupling Reactions

“…In terms of Li plating, in industry the process is typically conducted at 400–450 °C by electrolysis of LiCl–KCl eutectic. Such conditions make the process extremely energy‐intensive and do not qualify this method to replace the traditional Haber–Bosch process of N 2 fixation [26] . Thus, we chose a standard battery system operating at ambient conditions [27, 28] .…”

One-Step Solvometallurgical Process for Purification of Lithium Chloride to Battery Grade

“…The main lithium sources are brines from salt lakes (salars) and hard-rock lithium ores (mainly spodumene) [4][5][6]. Lithium is extracted through a series of processing steps (including heating, precipitation, carbonation) as lithium carbonate (Li 2 CO 3 ), which presently is the most important lithium compound for lithium-ion battery applications [7][8][9][10]. However, the importance of lithium hydroxide, in the form of its monohydrate LiOH•H 2 O, is increasing sharply, mainly because it can be used as a starting compound for nickel-rich NMC cathode materials, which are desirable for their high reversible capacity, high energy density, good rate capability, and relatively low cost [11][12][13].…”

Electro-Driven Materials and Processes for Lithium Recovery—A Review

“…Lithium (Li) metal is a unique element exhibiting the most negative redox potential, equal to −3.014 V compared to a standard hydrogen electrode, making it extraordinarily reactive and valuable across multiple electrochemical applications [ 1 ]. Li is also the lightest non-iron metal, with a density of 0.53 g/cm 3 , and has the third-highest specific heat capacity (Cp = 3.6 J g −1 K −1 ).…”

“…Primary sources include mineral rocks [ 3 ], saline lakes [ 4 ], brines [ 5 ], sea water [ 6 ], underground water [ 7 ], and groundwater [ 8 ], while secondary sources are typically lithium obtained from recycling lithium-containing devices and components, such as batteries, capacitors [ 9 ], or general e-wastes [ 10 ]. The world’s primary reserves of lithium are estimated at over 250 billion tons [ 1 ], of which 230 billion tons are present within oceans, while the remaining amount exists as ores or continental brines. The demand for Li metal has increased exponentially over the past 20 years and was 33,300 tons in 2015.…”