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. The UK imports lithium in several forms, which include lithium carbonate, lithium oxide, and lithium hydroxide. In 2020 the UK imported 1508 tonnes of lithium carbonate and a combined 467 tonnes of lithium oxide and lithium hydroxide (Bide et al., 2022).