Lithium hydroxide

13 Jan.,2025

 

Lithium hydroxide

Lithium hydroxide Names IUPAC name Lithium hydroxide Identifiers
  • -65-2 Y
  • -66-3 (monohydrate) Y
3D model (JSmol) ChEBI ChemSpider
  •  Y
ECHA InfoCard 100.013.804 PubChem CID RTECS number
  • OJ
UNII
  • 903YL31JAS Y
  • G51XLP968G (monohydrate) Y
UN number CompTox Dashboard (EPA)
  • InChI=1S/Li.H2O/h;1H2/q+1;/p-1 YKey: WMFOQBRAJBCJND-UHFFFAOYSA-M Y
  • InChI=1/Li.H2O/h;1H2/q+1;/p-1Key: WMFOQBRAJBCJND-REWHXWO
  • [Li+].[OH-]
Properties LiOH Molar mass
  • 23.95 g/mol (anhydrous)
  • 41.96 g/mol (monohydrate)
Appearance white solid Odor none Density
  • 1.46 g/cm3 (anhydrous)
  • 1.51 g/cm3 (monohydrate)
Melting point 462 °C (864 °F; 735 K) Boiling point 924 °C (1,695 °F; 1,197 K) (decomposes)
  • anhydrous:
  • 12.7 g/(100 mL) (0 °C)
  • 12.8 g/(100 mL) (20 °C)
  • 17.5 g/(100 mL) (100 °C)
  • monohydrate:
  • 22.3 g/(100 mL) (10 °C)
  • 26.8 g/(100 mL) (80 °C)[1]
Solubility in methanol
  • 9.76 g/(100 g) (anhydrous; 20 °C, 48 hours mixing)
  • 13.69 g/(100 g) (monohydrate; 20 °C, 48 hours mixing)[2]
Solubility in ethanol
  • 2.36 g/(100 g) (anhydrous; 20 °C, 48 hours mixing)
  • 2.18 g/(100 g) (monohydrate; 20 °C, 48 hours mixing)[2]
Solubility in isopropanol
  • 0 g/(100 g) (anhydrous; 20 °C, 48 hours mixing)
  • 0.11 g/(100 g) (monohydrate; 20 °C, 48 hours mixing)[2]
Acidity (pKa) 14.4[3] Conjugate base Lithium monoxide anion Magnetic susceptibility (χ) '12.3·10'6 cm3/mol Refractive index (nD)
  • 1.464 (anhydrous)
  • 1.460 (monohydrate)
4.754 D[4] Thermochemistry[5] Heat capacity (C) 49.6 J/(mol·K) Std molar
entropy (S'298) 42.8 J/(mol·K) Std enthalpy of
formation (ΔfH'298) '487.5 kJ/mol Gibbs free energy (ΔfG') '441.5 kJ/mol Enthalpy of fusion (ΔfH'fus) 20.9 kJ/mol (at melting point) Hazards Occupational safety and health (OHS/OSH): Main hazards Corrosive NFPA 704 (fire diamond) Flash point Non-flammable Lethal dose or concentration (LD, LC): LD50 (median dose) 210 mg/kg (oral, rat)[6] Safety data sheet (SDS) "ICSC ".
"ICSC ". (monohydrate) Related compounds Other anions Lithium amide Other cations Related compounds Lithium oxide Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa). N   (what is YN ?) 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.

Link to Boraychem

Production

[edit]

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

Lithium carbonate route

[edit]

Lithium hydroxide is often produced industrially from lithium carbonate in a metathesis reaction with calcium hydroxide:[7]

Li2CO3 + Ca(OH)2 ' 2 LiOH + CaCO3

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

Lithium sulfate route

[edit]

An alternative route involves the intermediacy of lithium sulfate:[8][9]

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

[edit]

According to Bloomberg, Ganfeng Lithium Co. Ltd.[10] (GFL or Ganfeng)[11] and Albemarle were the largest producers in with around 25kt/y, followed by Livent Corporation (FMC) and SQM.[10] 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 .[10]

Albemarle's Kemerton WA plant, originally planned to deliver 100kt/y has been scaled back to 50kt/y.[12]

In Tianqi Lithium's, plant in Kwinana, Western Australia is the largest producer, with a capacity of 48kt/y.[13]

Applications

[edit]

Lithium-ion batteries

[edit]

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.[14]

Grease

[edit]

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.

For more information, please visit Lithium Methanol Solution.

Carbon dioxide scrubbing

[edit] 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:[15]

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

[edit]

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:[7]

LiOH + HF ' LiF + H2O

Other uses

[edit]

It is also used in ceramics and some Portland cement formulations, where it is also used to suppress ASR (concrete cancer).[16]

Lithium hydroxide (isotopically enriched in lithium-7) is used to alkalize the reactor coolant in pressurized water reactors for corrosion control.[17] It is good radiation protection against free neutrons.

Price

[edit]

In , the price of lithium hydroxide was about US$5'6/kg.[18]

In December , it had risen to $9/kg[19]

On 18 March , the price had risen to $11.50/kg[20]

See also

[edit]
  • Soda lime

References

[edit]

Lithium methanolate | CH3LiO | CID

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