Mineral Facts and Problems: 1960 Edition Page: 478
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MINERAL FACTS AND PROBLEMS, ANNIVERSARY EDITION
ments in technology and increases in produc-
tion capacities have decreased production costs
which counterbalanced inflationary influences.
The average value, a ton, of lithium minerals
and compounds shipped from mines can be
found in table 1.
TARIFF
Lithium minerals are imported duty free.
Lithium metal is dutiable at 25 percent ad
valorem. Lithium compounds are dutiable at
121/2 percent ad valorem.
RESEARCH
The lithium industry is an excellent ex-
ample of what can be accomplished in develop-
ing new uses for minerals in plentiful supply.
Lithium, which only a few years ago was a little
known and litle used material, now is the foun-
dation of a multimillion-dollar industry. It
has many essential military applications and
fills a variety of important civilian require-
ments.
Research on lithium has gone through several
periods. Before World War II few uses had
been developed for this commodity, and most
of the meager research was directed toward the
development of markets. The war brought a
surge of demand, and the industry concentrated
its effort on expanding capacity with someresearch on technology intended primarily to
increase output. It was during the period im-
mediately preceding the war and in the early
years of the war that the Bureau concentrated
research on the recovery of lithium from its
various ores. After the war and the loss of
military markets emphasis in end-use research
led to development of significant new uses.
Demand gradually outgained productive ca-
pacity. Industry rushed to build additional
facilities and reverted to research on im-
proved technology, with both Government
and private research groups participating.
Once again, due partly to success of research,
the lithium production capacity reached a
volume greater than requirements.
Government, private research organizations,
and industry are currently doing research on
new products and studying their properties,
developing new application, improving tech-
nology of recovery and processing, and improv-
ing the economics of recovery of coproducts.
The domestic lithium industry, late in 1956,
formed the American Lithium Institute, Inc.,
with headquarters at Princeton, N.J., to develop
new applications of lithium products and dis-
seminate information in lithium and its com-
pounds. The institute was disbanded in mid
1958.OUTLOOK
It has become increasingly evident that the
lithium resources of the world are adequate to
supply foreseeable needs and that lithium pro-
ducing facilities are presently ample and could
be greatly expanded if necessary. The outlook
at present is for new uses and gradual increases
in consumption of lithium in its various forms.
Possible new uses include well-drilling muds,
bleaches, light-metal alloys, propellants, fer-
tilizers, food preservatives, cermets, oil addi-
tives, electrolyte of aluminum cells, reducing
agents in production of refractory metals or
organic compounds, and liquid metal heat trans-
fer agents.Further expansion and intensification of the
research program both by lithium producers
and other research groups are anticipated.
Emphasis will be placed on development of new
uses, but research on basic properties of lithium
and its compounds and on improvement of
mining and processing methods is expected.
Prices, already declining, may be further re-
duced by more efficient plants and processes, and
greater competition. All these factors should
contribute to an expanded industrial applica-
tion of lithium products.PROBLEMS
The major immediate problem of the lithium
industry is that production capacity exceeds
commercial requirements. New markets and
expansion of existing markets have not de-
veloped as rapidly as anticipated.
This problem is accentuated by the lack of
statistical data on lithium minerals and com-
pounds. This makes it difficult for industry
and Government to determine requirements,evaluate market potentialities, and to plan
future action.
In all pegmatite operations major problems
are mining and the efficient recovery and eco-
nomic disposition of the maximum number of
coproducts and by products.
Lithium processing problems extend through
all stages, from the mining to the manufacture478
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United States. Bureau of Mines. Mineral Facts and Problems: 1960 Edition, report, 1960; Washington D.C.. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc38790/m1/486/: accessed April 24, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.