jamit - 21-8-2014 at 02:34
I just received some badly oxidized lithium metal. It is completely black on the outside but inside its silvery. I would like to clean it up.
Can I melt it in some high boiling point mineral oil to melt and remove the oxide layer... Something like that I believe was done to purify sodium -
can't remember who. Since lithium melts at 180c ...would it be ok to use mineral oil which boils around 200c?
Also I find that mineral oil is not good for long term storage of lithium. Is there a better oil to preserve lithium metal?
Oscilllator - 21-8-2014 at 03:16
You could do that, but only under an inert atmosphere. Lithium floats on mineral oil (and just about everything else for that matter)
forgottenpassword - 21-8-2014 at 04:36
Leave it on. It will protect the rest of the metal from corrosion.
gdflp - 21-8-2014 at 04:38
Also be aware that molten lithium can react explosively with glass and many other materials, so I would think twice before doing this. Another way
which might clean it up is to put the lithium in an inert solvent and add a small amount of a tertiary alcohol to etch the oxide surface and form the
corresponding lithium tert-alcoholate.
woelen - 21-8-2014 at 04:45
I was the one who did this with sodium. With sodium, things, however, are much easier. It melts at low temperature well below the boiling point of
water and sodium is more dense than mineral oil. The chance of getting fire or unwanted exposure to air is much smaller with sodium.
gdflp - 21-8-2014 at 05:06
This thread might be helpful. By the way, congratulations on 5000 posts woelen
jamit - 21-8-2014 at 10:03
thanks gdflp for that link!