What is lithium chloride?

Lithium chloride, also known as lithium chloride, is a salt composed of chloride and lithium. Lithium chloride is formed by treating lithium carbonate with hydrochloric acid. This substance is typically used as an ingredient for formulating compounds or diagnosing diseases. 

At DC Fine Chemicals, providers of fine chemicals in Spain and the United Kingdom, in the following article, we’ll delve into lithium chloride and explain what it is, as well as its various uses. If you find this article interesting, remember to visit our blog where we discuss other topics. In our catalog, you’ll also find all the fine chemical products you need, we look forward to serving you! 

What is lithium chloride used for?

As mentioned before, lithium chloride, with CAS number 7447-41-8, is a salt formed by chloride and lithium when lithium carbonate is treated with hydrochloric acid. Lithium chloride is a substance known for decades and has been used for multiple purposes over the years. Lithium chloride appears as a white powder, with a salty taste and no specific aroma, making it very similar to the table salt we all know. 

This substance, having characteristics similar to common salt, was once attempted for human and medicinal consumption until its toxic effects on people were discovered. Lithium chloride can be harmful if ingested, as well as causing skin irritations or severe eye irritations.

Lithium chloride has a molecular mass of 42.39 g/mol. Additionally, it has a density of 2.068 g/mL and boiling points of 605 °C and 1360 °C. 

Lithium chloride is also used in various sectors such as the automotive industry as a welding flux for aluminum in vehicle parts. It also has other uses such as for lithium metal production, which is carried out through electrolysis of a molten mass. 

But these are by no means the only ways to use lithium chloride, as it is also used in medicine, especially for disease diagnosis and in biochemical applications to precipitate RNA from cellular extracts. In these cases and this type of application, lithium chloride is undoubtedly a fundamental and indispensable element.

We hope that thanks to this article, you now know everything about lithium chloride. If this article has been helpful, don’t forget to visit our blog, where you’ll find more like this. Additionally, DC Fine Chemicals offers a wide range of chemical products among which you can find what you need. Contact us and resolve your doubts, we look forward to serving you!