Basic knowledge and industry overview of lithium carbonate products

Lithium carbonate is the provider of lithium ions in lithium batteries, and lithium carbonate occupies an important position in the industrial chain. As lithium carbonate futures products are about to be launched, this article will introduce the basic knowledge of lithium carbonate.

  1. Basic properties of lithium carbonate

Lithium carbonate is a kind of basic lithium salt with the chemical formula Li2CO3. It is a colorless monoclinic crystal or white powder. It is an inorganic compound, slightly soluble in water and dilute acid, and insoluble in ethanol and acetone.

  2. Classification and uses of lithium carbonate

Lithium carbonate is divided into industrial grade lithium carbonate and battery grade lithium carbonate according to different contents. Among them, industrial grade lithium carbonate can be used to prepare energy storage lithium iron phosphate and lithium manganate products, and are widely used in glass, ceramics, synthetic rubber, medicine and other industries; battery grade lithium carbonate is generally used to prepare lithium cobalt oxide, medium and low nickel Nternary materials, power lithium iron phosphate and other products.

Due to different sources of raw materials, the production processes of lithium carbonate are also quite different. The development of the lithium extraction process from spodumene is relatively mature, with a high lithium recovery rate and low entry barriers. Mainstream technology companies are continuing to increase recovery rates, reduce ore unit consumption, and expand production capacity through technical transformation.

In terms of lithium extraction technology from salt lake brine, due to the different resource endowments of salt lakes in my country, the magnesium-lithium ratio varies greatly. Therefore, the lithium extraction technology used by each salt lake needs to meet its own resource conditions and is not universal. The adsorption method currently used in Qarhan Salt Lake can produce battery-grade lithium carbonate in small batches. Dongtai Jinai Salt Lake, due to its low magnesium-lithium ratio, can produce quasi-battery-grade products and enter some battery material supply chains. At present, there is no industrial lithium extraction technology that can adapt to all salt lake brine types. The lithium extraction technology has a single applicability. Only by comprehensively applying different lithium extraction technologies can the lithium resources in salt lakes be recovered more efficiently.

Lithium carbonate products are in the growth stage. With the gradual increase in supply growth, the industry will gradually transition to a mature stage in the next few years. It is difficult to obtain upstream raw material resources for lithium carbonate, the requirements for corporate operating capital are high, and the industry threshold is high. Listed companies, state-owned enterprises, and joint ventures account for a large proportion. Acquisitions, shareholdings, and expansion of leading companies are the key factors for domestic lithium carbonate companies to expand production capacity in recent years. The main way for downstream enterprises to extend upward. The operation of small and medium-sized enterprises has been unstable in recent years, and some have gradually transformed into OEM production.