Lithium reserves discovered in Jammu and Kashmir

Why in news?

• The Geological Survey of India has for the first time discovered Lithium reserves in Salal-Haimana area of Reasi District of Jammu & Kashmir, making it one of the largest deposits of lithium in the world.

About Lithium:

• It is a soft, silvery-white alkali metal.
• Under standard conditions, Lithium is the lightest metal and the lightest solid element.
• Like all alkali metals, lithium is highly reactive and flammable.
• It never occurs freely in nature due to its high reactivity.
  • It occurs in nature only in (usually ionic) compounds, such as pegmatitic minerals, which were once the main source of Li.
  • Due to its solubility as an ion, it is present in ocean water and is commonly obtained from brines.
  • Li metal is isolated electrolytically from a mixture of lithium chloride and potassium chloride.
• Lithium is also present in biological systems in trace amounts; its functions are uncertain.

Applications of Lithium:

• Lithium has been dubbed “white gold” for its widespread usage in items indispensable to modern-day living
• Lithium and its compounds have several industrial applications, including:
  • Heat-resistant glass and ceramics
  • Flux additives for iron, steel and aluminum production
  • Lithium batteries and lithium-ion batteries.
• Pharmaceuticals: Lithium salts have proven to be useful as a mood-stabilizing drug in the treatment of bipolar disorder in humans.
• Aerospace and Military: It is used in the aerospace and military industries to cool the temperature-sensitive components in space vehicles and military equipment, such as radar systems and missile guidance systems.

Global Lithium Reserves:

• Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile make up the “lithium triangle.”
• The three countries, along with Peru, contain about 67% of proven lithium reserves and produce about half of the global supply, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
• As of 2021, the largest producer of the lithium was Australia (ranked fifth in terms of reserves) followed by Chile and China.
• Already, the world’s lithium supply can barely keep up with its demand. A report from the International Energy Agency says that the world could face lithium shortages by 2025.

Lithium exploration in India:

• The Margalla-Allapatna area along the Nagamangala Schist Belt is seen as among the most promising geological domains for potential exploration for lithium and other rare metals.
  • The Nagamangala Schist Belt is located in Karnataka
  • It is a geological formation that is rich in metamorphic rocks, including schist and gneiss.
• There is also some potential for recovering Lithium from the brines of Sambhar and Pachpadra in Rajasthan and Rann of Kachchh in Gujarat.
• The major mica belts in Rajasthan, Bihar, and Andhra Pradesh, and the pegmatite belts in Odisha and Chhattisgarh are the other potential geological domains.

Add ons:

• India currently imports all its lithium needs.

PRACTICE QUESTION:

Consider the following statements regarding lithium metal:

1. It never occurs freely in nature due to its high reactivity

2. It is one of the hardest metal in the universe

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer