The Creation of Lithium

The use of lithium batteries has absolutely exploded in the last decade, and it doesn't seem like it will stop any time soon. Lithium is found all over our planet, but if you've ever wondered about the origins of this element, this blog will answer your questions.

What is Lithium?

Lithium is an alkali metal silver in hue with similarities to potassium or sodium. Lithium tarnishes quickly when exposed to air and is very reactive with oxygen and water. In fact, when exposed to water it reacts violently producing heat and large amounts of hydrogen gas continuously until a solution of lithium hydroxide remains.

Lithium is widely dispersed throughout the crust of the earth, although its average concentration is minimal, and it's found in in aqueous sources, hard rock, and clay minerals,. 

History of Lithium

Lithium was discovered in 1817 by Swedish chemist Johan August Arfwedson, a scholar of Law and Mineralogy studying the mineral petalite.

When he tested the sample in front of a flame, he was expecting to see an orange color which would have indicated sodium. The flame, however, was a brilliant crimson color.

He realized that he had discovered a new alkali metal and dubbed it "lithium".

The Creation of Lithium

Hydrogen, lithium, and helium were formed during the Big Bang rapid expansion period according to the standard model of cosmology.

As the universe expanded and cooled, clouds of hydrogen, helium, and lithium formed and began to cluster.

These elements are unique in this way because all the other natural elements in the periodic table were formed in various generations of stars.

Nuclear Instability

With gravity's force, these gaseous clouds compressed and nuclear fusion began to take place.

This is where lithium differentiates itself from hydrogen and helium because hydrogen and helium both have stable nuclei, however, lithium has poor nuclear stability.

The nuclear instability of lithium is unusual because you'd typically see this type of instability in the heavy metals of the transuranium series.

In fact, lithium has the least stable nucleus of all the nonradioactive elements, so much so that the nucleus of a lithium atom is on the verge of flying apart.

This makes lithium not only unique, but especially useful in certain nuclear reactions.

Lithium can be created in certain stars, but most of the production is swiftly destroyed when two lithium atoms crash and are converted to helium, explaining the reason there are low concentrations of lithium on Earth.

Other Potential Lithium Sources

Of the lithium sources we have mentioned in this blog, we have only disclosed those sources that are known, published, and accepted in the scientific community, however there may be other sources of lithium we have yet to discover.

For instance, in the initial years of the oil and gas industry, it was once believed that limited amounts of oil could only be found in certain places like Pennsylvania and Texas.

Today, we know that as the expansion of the oil and gas industry called for exploration of other sources, new sources of oil were found. Lithium may follow a similar pattern in the future.

Invest in Lithium

Lithium holds the power to redefine how we power our phones, vehicles, and other technology that makes our lives easier. 

Now is a great time to think of lithium as an investment because the lithium market has seen a dramatic increase in demand and projects an even sharper future increase in demand for lithium. 

Lithium, the Global Economy, and Crypto

Lithium is making big waves in the global economy as more devices rely on battery power, society calls for more environmentally-friendly practices surrounding energy production, and the use of electric vehicles continues to grow.

Lithium even influences the worlds of finance and cryptocurrency (such as LITH Token) with ESG investing and initiatives based on sustainability and accountability.

If you would like to learn more about International Battery Metals or how we can help you invest in this exciting space please contact us today by clicking below- we look forward to speaking with you soon!