Geology Reference
In-Depth Information
copper ores and it is extracted together with these minerals. The largest current
source of lead however stems from the recycling of vehicle batteries.
Lead is a very corrosion-resistant, malleable and toxic bluish-white metal that
has been known for at least 5000 years. Ancient romans used lead in their public
baths. It was an important component of fuel where tetraethyl lead was added to
reduce knocking. Nowadays lead is a major constituent of the lead-acid battery,
it is used as a colouring element in ceramic glazes, as projectiles, as electrodes
for electrolysis and in the glass of computer and television screens, shielding the
viewer from radiation. Lead alloys include pewter and solder. The toxicity of
lead led to strong environmental regulations in the 20th century which were passed
in an attempt to significantly reduce or eliminate its detrimental impact on the
environment and public health.
B.2.34 Lithium
Lithium is a moderately abundant element. Its most important mineral commer-
cially is spodumene LiAsSi 2 O 6 , followed by lepidolite KLi 2 AlSi 4 O 10 F(OH). It
is commonly found in Nature as silicates and phosphates. However it is usually
recovered from brines.
Lithium is an alkali metal of very high chemical reactivity. As a consequence,
it takes part in a huge number of reactions. The carbonate can be used in the
pottery industry and in medicine as an antidepressant. Low-density alloys are used
for armour plating and for aerospace components. The bromine and chloride both
form a concentrated brine, which can absorb humidity in a wide temperature range;
these brines are subsequently used for air conditioning systems. Apart from its
use in large capacity and rechargeable batteries as explained throughout the topic,
lithium finds additional use in nuclear breeder reactors as a coolant and as a source
for tritium. Other important uses are in lubricants, porcelain glaze and in welding.
B.2.35 Lutetium
Lutetium is an extremely scarce REE (less than 0.1% of REE containing Lu ores
such as monazite). Correspondingly, it has a high market price and few applications.
It has been used as a catalyst in petroleum cracking processes such as alkylation,
hydrogenation or polymerisation.Yet its main applications come from its isotopes.
In fact, lutetium has 35 isotopes with an appreciable half-life, with 175 Lu being
both the most abundant (97.4%) and stable. 177 Lu is used as detector in positron
emission tomography (PET) to locate cancer metastasis or, in general for non-
invasive 3D scans of the body's cellular activity. Additionally, the isotope 176 Lu
(2.6% natural abundance) is used to date the age of meteorites since it emits beta
particles in the LuHf dating process.
Lutetium has been proposed as a dopant in gadolinium-gallium-garnets (Lu :
GGG) for magnetic bubble memory devices and in aluminium garnets as a lens
 
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