Raw materials for decarbonisation : the potential for lithium in the UK

Lithium is a soft, silvery-white to grey alkali metal with a metallic lustre when fresh. It is highly reactive and in air quickly tarnishes to a dull silvery-grey and then black. Its physical and chemical properties make it useful in many chemical and metallurgical applications, for example lubricating greases, ceramics and glass, aluminium production and batteries. In the UK lithium is primarily used in the manufacture of lithium-ion batteries. The UK imports lithium in several forms, which include lithium carbonate, lithium oxide and lithium hydroxide. In 2017 the UK imported 1919 tonnes of lithium carbonate and a combined 324 tonnes of lithium oxide and hydroxide (Bide et al., 2019).