The Argentina provinces are currently in the process of constructing mining logistics nodes and access roads, reducing tax rates, and standardizing regulations for the sector to attract more investment into Lithium metal. The growing global demand for lithium and its booming prices have sparked increased interest in the ‘lithium triangle’ that encompasses areas of Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile. This follows the rising interest in high-performing rechargeable batteries, leading lithium to be branded as the new ‘white gold.’
Understanding Lithium
Lithium is a chemical element represented symbolically as Li. It stands out due to its lightweight properties, being the lightest metal and solid element in standard conditions. It presents itself as a soft, silvery-white metal, which is both highly reactive and flammable, thus requiring storage in mineral oil.
Lithium is categorized as an alkali metal and a rare metal. The alkali metals are made up of other chemical elements such as sodium, potassium, rubidium, caesium, and francium. Alongside these is hydrogen constituting group 1 in the s-block of the periodic table. The rare metals consist of Niobium (Nb), Tantalum (Ta), Beryllium (Be), Cesium (Cs) etc., with Rare Earths including Lanthanum (La) to Lutetium (Lu), Scandium (Sc), and Yttrium (Y). These strategic metals have broad applications in industries like nuclear, electronics, telecommunication, information technology, space, and defense.
The Uses of Lithium
One of the primary uses of Lithium metal is in alloy production. For instance, it can be combined with lead to create ‘white metal’ bearings for motor engines, with aluminum for aircraft parts, and with magnesium for body armor plates. Lithium also plays an essential role in Thermonuclear reactions and making electrochemical cells. Electric Vehicles and Laptops also heavily depend on Lithium as a central component.
Countries with Vast Lithium Reserves
When it comes to lithium reserves, Chile leads the pack, closely followed by Australia and Argentina. In India, researchers at the Atomic Minerals Directorate (under the Atomic Energy Commission of India) recently estimated lithium reserves of 14,100 tonnes in a small area in Southern Karnataka’s Mandya district. This is seen as India’s first-ever lithium deposit site found, and researchers are now looking into other potential sites in the country.
The Indian Lithium Initiative
The major mica belts in Rajasthan, Bihar, and Andhra Pradesh, along with the Pegmatite (igneous rocks) belts in Odisha and Chhattisgarh, are also under study. The brines of Sambhar and Pachpadra in Rajasthan, and Rann of Kachchh in Gujarat, carry potential as well.
On the government front, India has initiated a strategic move through state-owned company Khanij Bidesh India Ltd that signed an agreement to jointly prospect lithium with an Argentinian firm. Khanij Bidesh has been given the specific mandate to acquire strategic mineral assets like lithium and cobalt from overseas.
Lithium Production in Stars
A recent revelation from scientists at the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) indicates that Lithium production is common among low mass Sun-like stars during their Helium (He) core burning phase. This finding marks the first time this phenomenon has been evidenced.
