LITHIUM - GEOGRAPHY
News: Australia looks to
India for wide market for lithium export
What's in the news?
● Australia
would rather have a diversified market for its lithium exports –and this
includes India.
Key takeaways:
● Australia
is the world’s biggest exporter of lithium with most of it going to China,
which dominates the lithium-ion battery production market.
● Lithium
is a critical metal necessary to make batteries for electric vehicles.
Lithium:
● Lithium
is a soft, silver-white metal and is the
lightest of all the metals and the least dense solid element.
● It
is highly reactive and flammable,
and easily oxidizes in air or water.
Occurrence:
● Lithium
is a rare element and is mostly
found in minerals such as spodumene, lepidolite, and petalite.
● It
is also found in brines and clays in certain regions of the world, such as the
“Lithium Triangle” in South America,
which includes Bolivia, Argentina, and Chile.
Reserves in the World:
Top 3 countries with total Lithium reserves:
Top 3 countries leading in Lithium extraction:
Uses:
● Lithium-ion batteries:
It is a critical component of rechargeable
batteries used in mobile devices, laptops, electric vehicles, and renewable
energy storage systems.
● Aerospace industry:
Lithium is used in the manufacturing of aircraft
parts due to its lightweight and strong structural properties.
● Glass and ceramics:
Lithium is used in the production of heat-resistant glass and ceramics, such as
ovenware and laboratory equipment.
● Pharmaceuticals:
Lithium is used as a mood stabilizer
in the treatment of bipolar disorder.
● Lubricants:
Lithium is used in greases and lubricants due to its ability to reduce friction
and wear.
Key highlights:
● The
5.9million ton reserve of lithium, a crucial mineral for the manufacturing of
electric vehicles and solar panels, had been discovered in Reasi district by
the Geological Survey of India (GSI).
● The
G3 (advanced) study of the GSI shows the presence of best quality lithium in
abundant quantity in the foothills of Mata Vaishno Devi shrine at Salal village
(Reasi).
● It
is reported that the normal grade of 220 parts per million (PPM), the lithium
found in J&K is of 500 ppm-plus grading, and with a stockpile of 5.9
million tons, India will surpass China in its availability.