LITHIUM

The chemical element lithium is a coveted raw material. It is used in rechargeable batteries and is considered a key material for the transformation of the energy and transport sector.

Lithium is ...

the lightest of all metals. It is so soft that you can cut it with a knife and so reactive that it is typically stored in petroleum, as it would otherwise react with the oxygen and nitrogen in the air.

Technical

74 % of the lithium used can be found in rechargeable batteries, around 14 % in glass and ceramics, and 3 % in lubricants.*

Therapeutic

Some lithium salts are used in medicine, for example to treat depression, bipolar disorders, or cluster headaches.

Deadly

After the Second World War, lithium was used to produce tritium for hydrogen bombs.

Big Bang

Alongside hydrogen and helium, lithium is one of the three elements that were created directly after the Big Bang.

^{*As of 2022 according to the U.S. Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries, January 2022, 2022, (https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2022/mcs2022.pdf, p. 100)}

Illustrations: Diana Köhne