Lithium Resources : Karnataka
The Union minister of state for science and technology recently announced the discovery of 1,600 tonnes of lithium resources in Karnataka.
- Lithium is a chemical element with the symbol Liand atomic number 3.
- Classified as an alkali metal,lithium is a solid at room temperature.
- It is the lightest of the solid elements.
- It is soft, white, and lustrous.
- It reacts vigorously with water.
- It has a body-centered cubic crystal structure.
- Lithium constitutes about 002 percent of Earth’s crust.
- Being highly reactive, it does not occur as the metal in nature, but is found combined in small amounts in nearly all igneous rocks and in the waters of many mineral springs.
- Spodumene, petalite, lepidolite, and amblygonite are the more important minerals containing lithium.
- Lithium reserves are concentrated in the lithium triangle in South America–Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile, with 50% of the deposits concentrated in these regions.
- In 2023, Australia was the world leader in terms of lithium mine production, with Chile and China ranked second and third.
- The most important use of lithium is in rechargeable batteries for mobile phones, laptops, digital cameras, and electric vehicles.
