Introduction
Lithium fluoride (LiF) is an inorganic salt with chemical formula LiF. It is a colourless solid, that transitions to white with decreasing crystal size, i.e., ground into finer particles at room temperature. Although odorless, lithium fluoride has a bitter-saline taste. LiF is hygroscopic in nature but does not form a hydrate. Naturally occurring lithium fluoride exists as the rare mineral gricite.
LiF has a cubic crystalline form, its structure is analogous to that of sodium chloride, but the solubility in water is quite low and chemical reactivity is low. Lithium fluoride is insoluble in alcohol and other organic solvents. It is soluble in nitric acid and sulfuric acid, but insoluble in hydrochloric acid and can be dissolved in hydrofluoric acid to generate lithium hydrogen fluoride (LiHF2). At temperatures above 400°C, atmospheric moisture attacks lithium fluoride, making it sensitive to thermal shock.
LiF is mostly used today as the main raw material for production of lithium hexafluorophosphate (LiPF6), a chemical salt used to produce electrolyte, a main component material of high-performance lithium-ion batteries.
The production of LiF can be divided into direct synthesis method, ion exchange method and solvent extraction method, and direct synthesis method is divided into dry method and wet method.
Lithium Fluoride Characteristics
LiF has a molecular weight 25.94, relative density is 2.640, hardness 4.0, melting point is 848⁰C and boiling point is 1681⁰C. It has a wide transmission spectrum from the VUV to IR. The transmittance of LiF crystal is between vacuum ultraviolet 110nm and infrared 6.0μm, which is the material with the best transmittance in the vacuum ultraviolet region. The low index of refraction allows the crystal to be used directly without anti-reflective coating.
Commercialisation
Today, LiF is mostly used as the main raw material for production of lithium hexafluorophosphate (LiPF6), a chemical salt used to produce electrolyte, a main component material of high-performance lithium-ion batteries. Outside of lithium hexafluorophosphate, other applications for LiF include its use in the ceramics, UV optical, PLED and OLEDs, metallurgy, aluminium and rare earth smelting, molten salts, nuclear reactor, and radiation detection industries.
At present, in China, lithium fluoride is produced and consumed by two methods:
- Companies produce LiF as a standalone product, this consists of purchasing industrial-grade lithium carbonate and hydrogen fluoride and then process the material into battery-grade LiF which is then sold to lithium hexafluorophosphate companies and other companies which consume lithium fluoride such as optical or glass companies.
- Fluorine-based chemical companies, vertically-integrated lithium chemical companies, or downstream lithium hexafluorophosphate companies which self-procure/self-produce raw materials such as industrial-grade lithium carbonate, hydrofluoric acid, and internally produce and consume LiF within their own supply chain.
PURCHASE THE FULL REPORT TODAY
TABLE OF CONTENTS (SAMPLE)
For Further Information