| Questions And Answer | Back Directory | [Description]
Before spodumene became the sole ore for the recovery of lithium for chemical use, lepidolite was used as a lithium source.
One process for recovery of lithium from lepidolite used sulfuric acid in a procedure similar to that used by the Lithium Corporation of America for spodumene. A more recent method involved heating a mixture of lepidolite and potassium sulfate to just below the melting point and extracting the mixture with water to recover a solution of lithium sulfate.
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| Hazard Information | Back Directory | [Chemical Properties]
Lepidolite is named after the Greek word Lepidos, which means "scale". This is due to the typical formation of the mineral in scale-like clusters. Lepidolite contains between 1.23% to 5.90% lithium oxide and has a monoclinic crystal system with dimensions a=5.3, b=9.2, c=10.2, and β=100°. The crystal symmetry is m or 2/m, with pseudo-hexagonal plates forming fine scale-like clusters. Its attractive light purple color is combined with a glass luster, a hardness of 2-3, and a relative density of 2.8-2.9. There are over 150 minerals containing lithium, but only 30 of these are independent lithium minerals. The most important of these minerals is spodumene, followed by lepidolite. | [Uses]
Lepidolite is used as a raw material for glass. In ceramics, it acts as a flux. Lithium is the lightest metal, with a specific gravity of 0.534. It can produce lithium-6, needed for thermonuclear weapons, and is an important fuel for hydrogen bombs, rockets, nuclear submarines, and new jet aircraft. Lithium can absorb neutrons, serving as a control rod in nuclear reactors. Militarily, it is used as a red luminescent agent in signal flares and illumination flares, and as a thick lubricant in aircraft. In metallurgy, lithium is used to make lightweight alloys and as a purifying agent for metal products. | [Agricultural Uses]
Lepidolite, a variety of mica, is a fluorosilicate of
potassium, lithium and aluminum found in pegmatites.
Generally, rubidium occurs as an impurity. |
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