What is Lithium and What is All About?

Lithium is a Metal Element found primarily in molten rock and saltwater, its a Alkali metal with the atomic number 3, its Flammable and highly reactive, it is the lightest of all metals, its Used in heat-resistant glass, alloys for aircraft building, and red fireworks. It is Also useful as a mood-stabilising drug Limits on energy density are not the only problem, because it is not the only thing you care about in a battery. Otherwise, why have lead-acid batteries in traditional petrol-driven cars, given that lead is the heaviest stable element in the periodic table? The reason is that lead provides two things that lithium currently cannot - the surge of power needed to fire up your engine, and incredible durability over thousands of cycles of the battery, no matter how hot or cold the weather. As an alkali metal, lithium's high reactivity turns out to be a bit of an Achilles' heel, because unwanted chemical reactions inside the battery cause it to degrade over time. And while that may be fine in a phone, that has a typical working life of two-to-three years, it is much more of a headache if you want your car battery to last closer to a decade. Durability is not the only trade-off that researchers like Prof Brandon have to grapple with. The battery also has to be safe, and cheap. And, as certain plane and car manufacturers have discovered, lithium batteries do occasionally overheat and catch fire. Nonetheless, we prize the freedoms batteries give us and the electro-chemical properties of lithium mean it will remain central to their future. All of which brings us back to South America. Bolivia's Salar de Uyuni is one corner of a "Lithium Triangle" that also takes in the northern ends of Chile and Argentina. These three countries dominate world lithium supplies thanks to the incredible geological forces shaped the South American continent. The subduction of the Pacific plate under Chile's coast, and the resulting tectonic uplift of South America, created large localised depressions which cause water to flow into lakes instead of escaping into the sea. The lithium salts that dissolve out of the surrounding rocks collect in these great lakes. And the Andes themselves play a key role. They squeeze almost every drop of water out of the prevailing winds off the Atlantic, making the western slopes some of the most arid spots on earth. This dry climate causes these lakes to evaporate, leaving behind the crystallised salts you see at the salt flats of the Salar de Uyuni and at the Salar de Atacama, in the middle of the Atacama desert - the driest place on earth. The Salar de Atacama is not as picturesque as the Salar de Uyuni because of the dust that blows in from the surrounding desert, but it is the biggest single source of lithium currently being mined. So why is the Salar de Uyuni virtually untouched while this place is so busy? Geography is part of the reason. The Atacama deposit is richer in lithium than Uyuni and is easier to exploit because it is nearer the sea and, instead of stuck at the top of a mountain range, it is on a flat plain. That makes the roads and infrastructure needed for export much cheaper. But politics is also a key factor. The Salar de Atacama is controlled by a government in Santiago that has a long and happy working relationship with the foreign mining companies who have exploited Chile's largest mineral resource, copper. Contrast that with the radical-left Bolivian government which has vowed not to sell out to Western companies - assuming those Western companies would trust the government not to expropriate them. But, if the world is to meet the future demand, other deposits will need to be opened up. Most are in problematic locations - Tibet, Afghanistan, and of course Bolivia. If the Bolivian government can learn to work with foreigners who have the necessary expertise and deep pockets to bring the stuff to market, then the Salar de Uyuni could prove a bonanza for one of the poorest countries in South America. And the Bolivians have just begun a pilot mining project. So visit this incredible location now, if you can, because there may not be much left of it once the lithium miners have finished their work. Follow @LaNUBlog & @Hon_KingSIMEO on Twitter for Updates