Lithium Carbonate

lithium carbonate

[′lith·ē·əm ′kär·bə‚nāt]

(inorganic chemistry)

Li₂CO₃ A colorless, crystalline compound that melts at 700°C and has slight solubility in water; used in ceramic industries in the manufacture of powdered glass for porcelain enamel formulation.

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific & Technical Terms, 6E, Copyright © 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

The following article is from The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979). It might be outdated or ideologically biased.

Lithium Carbonate

 

Li₂CO₃, a salt; colorless crystals. Density, 2.11 g/cm³ at 0°C; melting point, 732°C (dissociation occurs at higher temperatures). It has low solubility in water (1.33 g in 100 g H₂O at 20°C). Pure lithium carbonate is produced by passing CO₂ through a solution of LiOH; in industry it is produced by the action of potash or soda on lithium salt solutions at temperatures of 80°-90°C.

Lithium carbonate is the most important lithium salt. It is the raw material for the production of other lithium compounds. Lithium oxide, Li₂O, formed from Li₂CO₃, is used in the glass-making and ceramics industries because of its ability to impart valuable properties (thermal and chemical stability; strength) to the materials. Lithium carbonate is also used in pyrotechnics, the production of plastics (as a catalyst), and ferrous metallurgy (desulfurization of steel).

The Great Soviet Encyclopedia, 3rd Edition (1970-1979). © 2010 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.