What is Lithium Hydroxide Definition Formula Preparation and Applications
When lithium reacts with water in a test tube it produces hydrogen gas and lithium hydroxide. LiOH is the chemical formula of lithium hydroxide. LiOH is a strong base but a very weak alkali metal at the same time. The ions of lithium pick up hydrogen ions which in turn gets converted to hydrogen atoms. It is known that two hydrogen atoms combine to form a molecule of hydrogen gas. The hydroxide ion which is negative reacts with lithium to give lithium hydroxide. Lithium hydroxide is mainly used for general purposes. It has a high resistance to water and can be used at varying temperature ranges.
Is Lithium Hydroxide A Base?
The basic thing that we need to deal with to determine if a compound is a base or an acid is the strength of the compound. The strength is once again determined by the degree of ionisation. Ionisation is the percentage of dissolved molecules that release hydrogen or hydroxide ions. Lithium hydroxide is a very strong base. It is 100% ionised in aqueous solution. Owing to its reactivity LiOH is considered to be the weakest acid when measured in the gaseous state.
What Are The Chemical Properties Of Lithium Hydroxide?
The chemical formula of Lithium Hydroxide: LiOH
Molar mass: 23.95 g/mol (anhydrous)
41.96 g/mol (monohydrate)
What Are The Physical Properties Of Lithium Hydroxide?
Appearance: Hygroscopic white solid
Odour: none
Density: 1.46 g/cm3 (anhydrous)
1.51 g/cm3 (monohydrate)
Melting point: 462 °C (864 °F; 735 K)
The boiling point of LiOH: 924 °C (1,695 °F)
Solubility in water:
12.7 g/100 mL (0 °C)
12.8 g/100 mL (20 °C)
17.5 g/100 mL (100 °C)
What Are The Uses Of Lithium Hydroxide?
The most common lithium hydroxide properties is that it is used as an electrolyte in batteries. Nickel hydrogen batteries, nickel-cadmium batteries etc. are produced using lithium hydroxide. These batteries are used in pacemakers, watches, digital cameras, smartphones and much more.
Lithium hydroxide and carbonate are used as a dye. These compounds increase the reaction and enhance the quality of the dye.
In spaceships and submarines, lithium hydroxide is used as a carbon dioxide scrubber. The presence of lithium hydroxide prevents people from being suffocated. Industrial plants also use LiOH as a support system.
Lithium salts or rather soaps of stearin acid and fatty acids need lithium hydroxide. The sizes increase heat resistant, water-resistance and other stable mechanical properties.
It is used in the ceramic industry, paint industry and as a coolant in water reactors as well as for corrosion control.
Solved Examples:
Lithium Hydroxide reacts with water
2LiOH + CO2 → Li2CO3 + H2O
Lithium hydroxide reacts with carbon dioxide to give lithium carbonate and water as products. The reaction takes place at room temperature and the solution is highly concentrated.
Lithium Hydroxide reacts with hydrochloric acid
Lithium Hydroxide reacts with hydrochloric acid is a neutralisation process. The reaction produces lithium chloride and water. The lithium chloride produced is crystalline in nature and white in colour.
LiOH + HCl —> LiCl + H2O
Lithium reacts with Sulfuric Acid
Lithium reacts with sulphuric acid to give the products lithium sultans along with water. This process is a double displacement reaction and commonly applied for the generation of sulphuric acid in various experiments.
LiOH + H2SO4 —> LiSO4 + H2O
Fun Facts About Lithium And Lithium Hydroxide:
The term lithium has been derived from the Greek word “lithos”.
It was discovered in the year 1817 by Johann August.
Lithium happens to be the only metal which has highly stable isotopes.
Lithium is a very soft metal. It can even be cut with the help of a knife.
The lithium metal is so light that it can float easily on the water.
We all know that fire can be put off using water. But lithium fire is not so easy to put out. Applying water to a lithium fire will only make it worse. Therefore a powder fire extinguisher is required to douse a lithium fire.
Lithium burns with a bright red flame.
Lithium hydroxide or LiOH is commonly used to purify the air in spaceships, submarines and more.
Owing to the lightweight of lithium hydroxide, it can be combined with various metals like aluminium or copper to produce lightweight alloys.
A very important use of lithium is that it is used as the base material form similar such lithium compounds or chemicals such as lithium chloride, lithium fluoride, lithium bromide and more. Lithium hydroxide also reacts with all of the above-mentioned lithium chemicals.
FAQs on Lithium Hydroxide Properties Reactions and Uses
1. What is lithium hydroxide?
Lithium hydroxide is a strong inorganic base with the chemical formula LiOH. It is composed of lithium ions (Li+) and hydroxide ions (OH-). In water, it dissociates completely:
LiOH(s) → Li+(aq) + OH-(aq)
This complete ionization makes lithium hydroxide a strong alkali commonly used in batteries, air purification, and chemical synthesis.
2. What is the formula for lithium hydroxide?
The chemical formula for lithium hydroxide is LiOH. It consists of one lithium ion (Li+) and one hydroxide ion (OH-). The charges balance in a 1:1 ratio, forming a neutral compound. Lithium hydroxide may also exist as a hydrated form, such as LiOH·H2O (lithium hydroxide monohydrate).
3. Is lithium hydroxide a strong or weak base?
Lithium hydroxide is a strong base because it completely dissociates into ions in aqueous solution. The dissociation reaction is:
LiOH(s) → Li+(aq) + OH-(aq)
As a Group 1 (alkali metal) hydroxide, it behaves similarly to NaOH and KOH, producing a high concentration of hydroxide ions in water.
4. How is lithium hydroxide prepared?
Lithium hydroxide is commonly prepared by reacting lithium carbonate with calcium hydroxide in water. The balanced equation is:
Li2CO3(aq) + Ca(OH)2(aq) → 2LiOH(aq) + CaCO3(s)
The insoluble calcium carbonate precipitates, leaving lithium hydroxide in solution. It can also be formed by reacting lithium metal with water:
2Li(s) + 2H2O(l) → 2LiOH(aq) + H2(g)
5. What are the uses of lithium hydroxide?
Lithium hydroxide is widely used in lithium-ion batteries, air purification, and industrial chemistry. Key uses include:
- Production of cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries
- Removal of carbon dioxide in spacecraft and submarines
- Manufacture of lithium greases (lubricants)
- Preparation of other lithium salts
6. How does lithium hydroxide remove carbon dioxide?
Lithium hydroxide removes carbon dioxide by reacting with it to form lithium carbonate and water. The balanced chemical equation is:
2LiOH(s) + CO2(g) → Li2CO3(s) + H2O(l)
This reaction is used in closed environments such as spacecraft to absorb CO2 from air and maintain breathable conditions.
7. What happens when lithium hydroxide reacts with hydrochloric acid?
Lithium hydroxide reacts with hydrochloric acid in a neutralization reaction to form lithium chloride and water. The balanced equation is:
LiOH(aq) + HCl(aq) → LiCl(aq) + H2O(l)
In this acid–base reaction, OH- ions combine with H+ ions to produce water, while Li+ and Cl- form the salt.
8. What is the molar mass of lithium hydroxide?
The molar mass of lithium hydroxide (LiOH) is approximately 23.95 g·mol-1. It is calculated as:
- Lithium (Li) = 6.94 g·mol-1
- Oxygen (O) = 16.00 g·mol-1
- Hydrogen (H) = 1.01 g·mol-1
9. Is lithium hydroxide soluble in water?
Yes, lithium hydroxide is soluble in water and forms an alkaline solution. Upon dissolving, it dissociates completely:
LiOH(s) → Li+(aq) + OH-(aq)
Although it is less soluble than sodium hydroxide, its aqueous solution is strongly basic due to the high concentration of hydroxide ions.
10. What is the difference between lithium hydroxide and sodium hydroxide?
The main difference between lithium hydroxide (LiOH) and sodium hydroxide (NaOH) is the alkali metal cation present in each compound. Key differences include:
- Cation: Li+ in LiOH vs Na+ in NaOH
- Solubility: NaOH is more soluble in water than LiOH
- Applications: LiOH is widely used in lithium-ion batteries and CO2 absorption, while NaOH is commonly used in soap making and industrial cleaning
