Brine is evaporated in ponds until Li2CO3 crystallizes; spodumene is roasted to the β form, sulfated with hot H2SO4 and leached. Metallic Li comes from molten LiCl/KCl electrolysis at ~450 °C.
Research Elements Li · atomic number 3 Alkali metal · period 2, group 1 [He] 2s1 Shells: 2, 1 Valence electrons: 1 in the outer shell (2s1) Green dots are the outer shell's s and p electrons. Softer green dots are the d electrons of transition metals, and the d and f electrons of lanthanides and actinides: they often take part in bonding, but not always. Grey dots are the core. Ground-state configuration from the NIST Atomic Spectra Database (A. Kramida, Yu. Ralchenko, J. Reader and the NIST ASD Team). Abundance is the mole fraction of the element found as that isotope on Earth; digits in parentheses are the uncertainty in the last digits. Masses and abundances from NIST, Atomic Weights and Isotopic Compositions (J. S. Coursey, D. J. Schwab, J. J. Tsai and R. A. Dragoset, National Institute of Standards and Technology).Lithium
Electrons
How it's obtained
Natural isotopes
Isotope Relative atomic mass Abundance How this isotope is separated 6Li 6.0151228874(16) 0.0759(4) COLEX: LiHg amalgam exchanges with aqueous LiOH — 6Li prefers the amalgam, 7Li the water — cascaded through many stages until 6Li reaches >95 %. Used at Oak Ridge until 1963 for tritium breeding. 7Li 7.0160034366(45) 0.9241(4) The tails from COLEX 6Li extraction, or from vacuum distillation of Li metal (7Li is slightly more volatile).