Industrial-grade lithium carbonate, as a primary product of lithium carbonate, is widely used in various industries such as glass, ceramics, and metallurgy, playing a significant role. In glass manufacturing, adding an appropriate amount of lithium carbonate can significantly reduce energy consumption and production costs in the glass dissolution process, while improving product performance. In electrolytic aluminum production, using carbonaceous materials containing 0.4%~1.5% Li₂CO₃ instead of ordinary activated carbon materials can reduce the overpotential of the anode by 150~200mV, reduce the emission of harmful gas HF by nearly 30%, and extend the lifespan of the anode graphite electrode by 50%, thereby increasing economic benefits. Furthermore, industrial-grade lithium carbonate is also an important raw material for the preparation of other lithium salt products.
Battery-grade lithium carbonate is crucial for the production of cathode materials in lithium-ion batteries. Trace amounts of metallic elements such as Na, Mg, Ca, K, and Fe embedded in lithium carbonate can reduce the reversible capacity and output power of the battery, and even cause overheating and explosion. By controlling the high purity of impurity ions, battery-grade lithium carbonate can reduce structural damage to electrode materials, extend battery life, and increase the number of battery cycles by 20% to 30%. Simultaneously, the high purity of battery-grade lithium carbonate plays a key role in improving the energy density and cycle stability of lithium-ion batteries, and it is gradually becoming one of the main raw materials for core electrode materials in the field of new energy technology in the 21st century.
Battery-grade lithium carbonate requires a higher mass fraction, typically above 99.50%. The new standard YS/T582—2023 classifies the chemical composition of lithium carbonate into three grades: Li2CO3-D1, Li2CO3-D2, and Li2CO3-D3. The new standard specifies that the particle size of battery-grade lithium carbonate should be d10≥1μm, 4μm≤d50≤8μm, 9μm≤d90≤15μm, and d99≤30μm, and requires that the loss on ignition be ≤0.50% and the moisture content be ≤0.20%.
High-purity lithium carbonate is indispensable in industries such as magnetic materials, nuclear energy, electronics, and optical instruments. In the materials industry, high-purity lithium carbonate is a key raw material for manufacturing single crystals of lithium tantalate (LiTaO3) and niobate (LiNbO3) for optoelectronic elastic wave components. In the nuclear energy field, the Li-6 isotope in lithium carbonate can efficiently absorb neutrons, slowing down chain reaction rates and preventing core overheating. To ensure reactor safety and controllability, nuclear-grade lithium carbonate requires a boron mass fraction of <10⁻⁷. In the medical field, lithium carbonate is the first-line drug for treating mania. In addition, lithium carbonate is used to treat various diseases, including anorexia nervosa, arthritis, and epilepsy. For medical-grade lithium carbonate, the heavy metal impurity mass fraction must be <0.001% to avoid liver and kidney toxicity.
Lithium carbonate, as a key material, plays a vital role in various industries such as batteries, materials, and optics. Different application areas have strict requirements for the purity and impurity content of lithium carbonate; the higher the purity, the more refined the testing standards. Quality standards ensure that lithium carbonate products meet the specific quality and performance needs of different industries, which is crucial for guaranteeing product reliability and safety.