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Lithium is a chemical element with the symbol Li and atomic number 3. It is a soft, silvery-white alkali metal. Under standard conditions, it is the least dense metal and the least dense solid element. Like all alkali metals, lithium is highly reactive and flammable, and must be stored in vacuum, inert atmosphere, or inert liquid such as purified kerosene or mineral oil. It exhibits a metallic luster. It corrodes quickly in air to a dull silvery gray, then black tarnish. It does not occur freely in nature, but occurs mainly as pegmatitic minerals, which were once the main source of lithium. Due to its solubility as an ion, it is present in ocean water and is commonly obtained from brines. Lithium metal is isolated electrolytically from a mixture of lithium chloride and potassium chloride.
Mining in Western Australia, together with the petroleum industry in the state, accounted for 94% of the State's and 46% of Australia's income from total merchandise exports in 2019–20. The state of Western Australia hosted 123 predominantly higher value and export-oriented mining projects and hundreds of smaller quarries and mines. The principal projects produced more than 99 per cent of the industry's total sales value.
Tanco Mine or Bernic Lake mine is an underground caesium and tantalum mine, owned and since 2019 owned and operated by Sinomine Resource Group on the north west shore of Bernic Lake, Manitoba, Canada. The mine has the largest known deposit of pollucite and is also the world's largest producer of caesium.
Zabuye Lake is a hypersaline, landlocked soda lake located at an elevation of 4,400 metres (14,400 ft) in the Shigatse Prefecture of Tibet Autonomous Region, 1,050 km (650 mi) from Lhasa. The lake gives its name to the mineral zabuyelite (lithium carbonate, Li2CO3), which was discovered here in 1987 and has been mined since 2004–2005. In 2008, the salt mine at the lake was regarded as the major source of lithium in China.
The Uis tin mine is a large open pit mine located in the western part of Namibia in Erongo Region. Uis represents one of the largest tin reserves in Namibia, having estimated reserves of 60 million tonnes of ore grading 0.13% tin. The mine is owned by the London-based AfriTin Mining Ltd..
The Jadar mining project is a proposed mining site. The deposit is one of the largest lithium deposits in the world and also contains boron. It is planned that both lithium and boron will be recovered from the ore. The deposit contains the mineral jadarite, the only occurrence of this mineral in the world. The mine is located in western Serbia in Mačva District. The Jadar mine has reserves amounting to 118 million tonnes of ore grading 1.8% lithium oxide The deposit was discovered in 2004 and in 2017 the Rio Tinto Group planned to start mining operations in 2023.
The Kings Mountain Mine is one of the largest lithium mines in the United States. The mine is located in eastern United States in North Carolina. In 2013, it was reported that the Kings Mountain mine had reserves amounting to 45.6 million tonnes of lithium ore grading 0.7% lithium thus resulting 0.32 million tonnes of lithium. In 2017 it was reported that the Kings Mountain pegmatite district had 5.9 million metric tons of lithium.
The Bessemer City mine is one of the largest lithium mines in the United States. The mine is located in eastern United States in North Carolina. The Bessemer City mine has reserves amounting to 62.3 million tonnes of lithium ore grading 0.67% lithium thus resulting 0.42 million tonnes of lithium.
The James Bay project is a proposed lithium pegmatite mine in Canada. The project is located in eastern Canada in Quebec. The James Bay mine has reserves amounting to 22,200,000 tonnes (4.89×1010 lb) of lithium ore grading 0.58% lithium thus resulting in 130,000 tonnes (290,000,000 lb) of lithium.
The Greenbushes lithium mine is an open-pit mining operation which is in Western Australia and is the world's largest hard-rock lithium mine. It is located to the south of the town of Greenbushes, Western Australia. The Greenbushes lithium mine produces approximately 1.95 million tonnes of lithium spodumene annually. The mine is 250 kilometres (160 mi) south of Perth and 90 kilometres (56 mi) southeast of the Port of Bunbury.
The Bikita mine is the largest lithium mine in Zimbabwe. The privately owned company holds the world’s largest-known deposit of lithium at approximately 11 million tonnes. The mine is located in southern Zimbabwe in Masvingo Province. The Bikita mine has reserves amounting to 10.8 million tonnes of lithium ore grading 1.4% lithium thus resulting 0.15 million tonnes of lithium.
The Kamativi mine is one of the largest tin mines in Zimbabwe. The mine is located in western Zimbabwe in Matabeleland North Province. The Kamativi mine has reserves amounting to 100 million tonnes of tin ore grading 0.28% tin thus resulting 0.28 million tonnes of tin.
The Manono-Kitolo mine is a former tin and coltan mine, which also contains one of the largest lithium reserves globally, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The mine is located in southern Democratic Republic of the Congo in Tanganyika Province. The Manono-Kitolo mine has reserves amounting to 120 million tonnes of lithium ore grading 0.6% lithium thus resulting 0.72 million tonnes of lithium.
The Salar de Olaroz mine is one of the largest lithium mines in Argentina. The mine is located in northern Argentina in Jujuy Province. The Salar de Olaroz mine has reserves amounting to 619 million tonnes of lithium ore grading 0.2% lithium thus resulting 1.21 million tonnes of lithium.
The Salinas Grandes mine is one of the largest lithium mines in Argentina. The mine is located in northern Argentina in Jujuy Province. The Salinas Grandes mine has reserves amounting to 20 million tonnes of lithium ore grading 1.2% lithium thus resulting 293,000 tonnes of lithium.
The Alakhinskoye mine is one of the largest lithium mines in Russia. The mine is located in southern Russia in Altai Republic. The Alakhinskoye mine has reserves amounting to 218 million tonnes of lithium ore grading 0.8% lithium thus resulting 1.74 million tonnes of lithium.
The Big Whopper mine is a large mine located at Separation Lake, in Ontario, Canada. Big Whopper represents one of the largest tantalum reserves in Canada having estimated reserves of 13.8 million tonnes of ore grading 0.007% tantalum and 1.34% lithium.
The Salar de Uyuni mine is one of the largest lithium mines in Bolivia. The mine is located in southern Bolivia in Potosí Department. The Salar de Olaroz mine has reserves amounting to 3 billion tonnes of lithium ore grading 0.3% lithium thus resulting 9 million tonnes of lithium.
The Bald Hill Lithium and Tantalum Mine is a lithium mine in Australia. It was closed, but is being re-opened for tantalum production. It previously was operated as a tantalum mine by Haddington International Resources. The mine comprises approximately 774 square kilometres in Western Australia's Eastern Goldfields Coolgardie Municipal area. It is located approximately 60 kilometres south east of Kambalda and around 50 kilometres east of Widgiemooltha.
The Finnis Lithium Project is a lithium mine being developed near Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia. The project is being developed by Core Lithium.
References
- 1 2 3 "Global lithium resources" (PDF). uchile.cl. 2012. Retrieved 2013-07-02.[ permanent dead link ]
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