Lithium is an element valuable for the production of glass, aluminum products, and batteries. Lithium metal is produced by electrolysis of a fused mixture of lithium and potassium chlorides.The principal industrial applications for lithium metal are in metallurgy, where the active element is used as a scavenger (remover of impurities) in the refining of such metals. It is commonly kept in mineral oil because it reacts with the moisture in the air.
Lithium compounds are used in ceramics and glass, in primary aluminum production, in the manufacture of lubricants and greases, rocket propellants, vitamin A synthesis, silver solders, underwater buoyancy devices, and increasingly in batteries. The most important use of lithium is in rechargeable batteries for mobile phones, laptops, digital cameras and electric vehicles.
