A laboratory curiosity at first, lithium is now a part of our society. Unknown to most people, it is being used in many practical applications, such as ceramics, greases, electronics, medicine, and hopefully in the future, will be used in a fusion that would solve world’s energy problems. While lithium has been the subject of many specific publications, no comprehensive book covering all aspects of lithium has been published so far. This book discusses the original discovery of lithium, its development from a mineral of curiosity to an expanding industry, its geological occurrences, and its various applications, culminating in its present use in the ever-expanding electromotive industry. The author’s wonderful and exciting experiences of his long lithium career shared in the book will satisfy the readers’ curiosity about this expanding industry.
1. Lithium Discovery
2. Dr. Albert E. Foote (1846–1895)
3. Lithium: The Element
4. Lithium Minerals
5. Lithium Applications
6. Lithium Pegmatites
7. Lithium Brines: Geology and Geochemistry
8. Lithium Brine Exploration
9. Techniques for Lithium Brine Resource Estimation
10. Lithium Production History
11. Lithium Resources and Availability
12. Lithium: Clayton Valley, Esmeralda County, Nevada
13. Lithium: Salar de Atacama, Chile
14. Lithium : Argentina
15. Bolivia: Salar de Uyuni
16. Lithium: People’s Republic of China
17. Lithium in Medicine
18. Lithium Demand and the Electric Car
19. Future Projects
20. Lithium: The Future
Biography
Ihor Kunasz is a world expert on lithium resources and has been involved in the industry for 45 years. He started his career with a doctoral thesis at the Pennsylvania State University on "Origin of Lithium of Clayton Valley, Nevada," where Foote Mineral Co. produced the very first lithium carbonate from brine. As chief geologist of Foote Mineral Co., he evaluated most of the global lithium deposits and brought the two lowest-cost lithium reserves in the world—Silver Peak, Nevada, and Salar de Atacama, Chile—to the project development stage. Dr Kunasz has been a resource consultant with the TRU Group of Canada and a member of the National Academy of Sciences’ team that compiled the first comprehensive review of lithium reserves and resources of the world. He is active in the Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Geology (SME) and, in 1998, became president of the society.
"Dr Kunasz was one of my first industry contacts. His extensive background in lithium minerals and brines, combined with a ready willingness to engage with the global minerals community, share opinion, and foster long-term friendships with ease in the industry over the years, has maintained his standing as the ‘go to’ guy on lithium. I cannot think of a better qualified world expert to do so, and market players, whether new entrants or old hands, will be thankful for this rich source of essential lithium information provided by him in this book."
Mike O’Driscoll
IMFORMED Industrial Mineral Forums & Research Ltd., UK
"Dr Kunasz is a leading and renowned authority on lithium. His manyfold expertise and competence has sent him across the entire globe visiting and evaluating practically all major pegmatite and brine deposits. This book summarizes all geochemical, mineralogical, geological, and economic aspects of lithium deposits and will be the standard monograph on lithium to date."
Hon.-Prof. Dr Richard Göd
University of Vienna, Austria
"As chief geologist with Foote Mineral Company, Dr Kunasz conducted the first detailed evaluation of the lithium brine at the Salar de Atacama. As the former managing director of the Mixed Salt Committee of the Chilean Development Corporation, responsible for the development of the chemical industry of Northern Chile, including the Salar de Atacama, I believe that Dr Kunasz is eminently qualified to compile such a comprehensive treatise on lithium."
Pedro Pavlovic
Senior consultant on lithium projects, Chile
"Affectionately known in the mining industry as ‘Mr Lithium’, Dr Kunasz provides an all-inclusive treatment of lithium in this book, from its discovery to its crucial role in establishing a sustainable and clean energy future—a must-read for anyone interested in the role minerals play in human civilization."
Prof. Moe Momayez
University of Arizona, USA
