Battery industry
Because the atomic weight of lithium is very small, batteries using lithium as anode have high energy density. In addition, lithium batteries have the advantages of light weight, small volume, long service life, good performance and no pollution, so they are favored by many people. In recent years, the application of lithium in the battery field has grown the fastest, from 7% in 1997 to 35% in 2013. The battery field has become the largest consumption field of lithium in the world. Now, lithium batteries have been widely used in notebook computers, mobile phones, digital cameras, small electronic equipment, aerospace, electromechanical and military communications. With the continuous maturity of electric vehicle technology, lithium batteries will also be widely used in the automotive industry.
Glass industry
Lithium concentrate or lithium compounds have a great melting aid in the manufacture of glass. Adding them to glass ingredients can reduce the temperature of glass melting and the viscosity of the melt, simplify the production process, reduce energy consumption, prolong furnace life, increase output, improve operating conditions and reduce pollution. In addition, adding lithium compound to the glass can also reduce the coefficient of thermal expansion of the glass, improve the density and finish of the glass, and improve the strength, ductility, corrosion resistance and heat resistance of the products. Now lithium containing glass is widely used in chemistry, electronics, optics, modern science and technology, and even in daily necessities.
Ceramic industry
Adding a small amount of spodumene into ceramics can reduce the sintering temperature, shorten the sintering time, improve the fluidity and adhesion of ceramics, improve the strength and refractive index of ceramics, and enhance the heat resistance, acid resistance, alkali resistance, wear resistance and heat resistance of ceramics. At present, spodumene based low thermal expansion ceramics and glazes made of spodumene are widely used in trays, electromagnetic cooker panels, turbine blades, spark plugs, low thermal expansion coefficient foam ceramics and light ceramics in microwave ovens.
Grease industry
Compared with potassium, sodium and calcium based greases, lithium based greases have the advantages of oxygen resistance, pressure resistance and good lubrication performance. In particular, lithium based greases have wide working range and good water resistance. They hardly change the viscosity of greases at -60 ℃ ~300 ℃, and can maintain good stability even when there is little water. Therefore, they are applied to aircraft, tanks, trains, automobiles, metallurgy, petrochemical industry, radio detection and other equipment.
Metallurgical Industry
Lithium, as a component of light alloys, ultralight alloys, wear-resistant alloys and other non-ferrous alloys, can greatly improve the properties of alloys. For example, lithium magnesium alloy is a high-strength lightweight alloy, which not only has good thermal conductivity, conductivity and ductility, but also has the characteristics of corrosion resistance, wear resistance, impact resistance and high-speed particle penetration resistance. It is known as "tomorrow's aerospace alloy" and is widely used in aerospace, national defense and military industry. With the increasing requirements for lightweight, energy saving, environmental protection and sustainable development of structural materials in the world, magnesium lithium alloys will also be used in the fields of transportation, electronics, medical products and so on.
The alloys formed by adding lithium to beryllium, zinc, copper, silver, cadmium and boron are not only stronger or tougher, but also have higher tensile strength and elasticity. The lithium content in these alloys ranges from a few thousandths to a few percent.
Lithium is also an effective degassing agent. Because of the strong chemical activity of lithium, lithium will react with gases such as hydrogen, oxygen, sulfur and nitrogen in the metal or alloy to form compounds with low density and low melting point. It can not only remove these gases and make the metal more compact, but also eliminate bubbles and other defects in the metal, so as to improve the grain structure of the metal and improve the mechanical properties of the metal.
Other applications
Lithium metal has the properties of large heat capacity, wide liquid temperature range, high thermal conductivity, low viscosity and low density. It is used as coolant in nuclear fusion or fission reactors.
Lithium bromide is an efficient water vapor absorber and air humidity regulator, which is widely used in air conditioning, dehumidification, refrigeration and air purification systems.
Lithium and its compounds have the characteristics of high combustion, fast speed, wide flame and high calorific value. They are often used as high-energy fuel in rockets, aircraft or submarines.
Lithium can also produce "lithium fertilizer" to prevent tomato rot and wheat ear rust.
Adding lithium salt to the aluminum reduction cell can improve the fluidity of molten salt, reduce the electrolysis degree and save electric energy.
N-butyl lithium is also used as an initiator for the synthesis of styrene and butadiene alcohol. It is widely used in high and low temperature resistant rubber sealing materials and rubber tires. Adding butyl lithium to rubber tires can increase its service life by more than four times.
