Carbonato de lítio

O carbonato de lítio (CAS 554-13-2) é um sal inorgânico branco, cristalino e inodoro, geralmente encontrado na forma de pó fino ou grânulos, com ponto de fusão elevado (cerca de 723 °C) e baixa solubilidade em água. Classifica-se quimicamente como um carbonato metálico alcalino, derivado do lítio e do ácido carbônico. É amplamente empregado como intermediário essencial na síntese de materiais cerâmicos avançados, especialmente em esmaltes e vidrados para indústria de revestimentos cerâmicos, além de atuar como precursor na produção de óxidos de lítio utilizados em baterias recarregáveis de íon-lítio. Seus principais setores de aplicação incluem a indústria cerâmica, a fabricação de componentes eletrônicos e a produção de fármacos psicotrópicos, onde serve como matéria-prima crítica para a obtenção de compostos litíferos com atividade terapêutica comprovada.

The lithium carbonate industry is a global high monopoly industry, the current production capacity is mainly concentrated in three foreign manufacturers of SQM, FMC, Chemetall and so on.Industrial lithium carbonate is used in the manufacture of other lithium salts, such as lithium chloride and lithium bromide and so on. It also acts as lithium oxide materials in enamel, glass, pottery and porcelain enamel, and it is also added to the electrolytic cell for electrolysis of aluminum to increase the current efficiency and reduce the internal resistance of the cell and the bath temperature. In medicine, it is mainly used for the treatment of mania, can improve their emotional disorders for schizophrenia. It has the effect of elevating peripheral leukocytes; can be used for synthetic rubber, dyes, semiconductor and military defense industry and so on; for the production of lithium tantalate, lithium niobate and other acoustic grade single crystal, optical grade monocrystalline etc; for preparation of the acoustic grade single crystal.Battery grade lithium carbonate is mainly used for the preparation of lithium cobalt oxide, lithium manganese oxide, ternary materials, lithium iron phosphate and other lithium ion battery cathode materials; used in a matrix modifier; as aneuroprotective effect of lithium carbonate in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
Lithium carbonate is a white monoclinic crystalline solid. Typically for carbonates, lithium carbonate reacts with acids stronger than carbon dioxide or carbonic acid to yield the lithium salt of the acid and carbon dioxide. The reactions may be carried out in a solution, as an aqueous slurry, or, less effectively, with solid lithium carbonate.Lithium carbonate exhibits a low water solubility for an alkali metal carbonate. The solubility decreases with increasing temperature. It is not hygroscopic and is generally stable when exposed to the atmosphere. In fact, it is the normal end compound encountered when many basic lithium compounds are exposed to the atmosphere. Lithium carbonate may be dissolved in water by conversion to the hydrogen carbonate. Releasing carbon dioxide by heating the solution of lithium hydrogen carbonate causes reprecipitation of the lithium carbonate.