Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 10, 2026

Two-way Valorization of Blast Furnace Slag: Synthesis of Precipitated Calcium Carbonate and Zeolitic Heavy Metal Adsorbent
Published on: February 21, 2017
Lithium Carbonate Conversion to Lithium Hydroxide Using Calcium Hydroxide: Equilibrium is Governed by Vaterite
Péter Török1, Ilona Halasiné-Varga1, Laurent Duvivier2
1Department of Molecular and Analytical Chemistry, University of Szeged, Dóm tér 7-8, H-6720 Szeged, Hungary.
None:
The conversion of lithium carbonate (Li2CO3) with calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2) is a cornerstone industrial process for synthesizing lithium hydroxide (LiOH), a critical precursor for high-performance cathodes in advanced lithium-ion batteries. Achieving a high Li2CO3-to-LiOH yield is crucial for efficient industrial processing. However, despite its industrial relevance, the influence of concentration and equilibrium conditions on this conversion reaction remains insufficiently explored. To address this gap, we investigated the conversion reaction by varying the Li2CO3 concentration and the Ca(OH)2:Li2CO3 molar ratio. Near-complete conversion yields occur below the maximum concentration threshold of 1.6 mol L-1 LiOH, while yields diminish above this limit. Sequential reaction experiments confirm that the system adheres to Le Chatelier's principle, and reverse reactions initiated from LiOH and CaCO3 demonstrate true equilibrium behavior. Furthermore, backward reactions involving distinct CaCO3 polymorphs reveal different equilibrium states. Notably, the presence of vaterite alongside calcite significantly affects the equilibrium concentration of LiOH, underscoring the role of solid-phase composition in governing reaction thermodynamics. These findings provide a deeper understanding of the causticization mechanism and offer actionable insights for optimizing LiOH production in industrial settings.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Factors Affecting Solubility
Weak Acid Solutions
Chemical Equilibria: Systematic Approach to Equilibrium Calculations
The first step is to identify all the chemical reactions involved, The...
Ionic Strength: Effects on Chemical Equilibria
In this solution, the primary...
Solubility Equilibria: Overview
Solubility is important in biological and environmental processes. A notable...
Acid Halides to Alcohols: LiAlH4 Reduction
The mechanism proceeds in three steps. First, the nucleophilic hydride ion attacks the carbonyl carbon of the acid halide to form a tetrahedral intermediate. Next, the carbonyl group is re-formed, and the halide ion departs as a leaving group, generating an aldehyde. A second nucleophilic attack by the hydride yields an alkoxide ion, which, upon protonation, gives a primary alcohol as...

