CHEMISTRY IDEAS IN CONTEXT

Examples of pollutants: 

• Sulfur Dioxide (SO2)
• Carbon Monoxide (CO)
• Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2)
• Carbon Particulates - microscopic carbon particles

Lithium Carbonate:  Li₂CO₃ 

Lithium forms part of the lithosphere, one of the Earth's four spheres

To make 60 million plug-in hybrid vehicles with lithium-ion batteries would need 420,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate.

Therefore each plug-in hybrid vehicle would require:

60 million = 60 000 000

420,000 / 60 000 000 = 7/1000 tonnes = 7x10-3 tonnes = 7 kg of lithium

Current world production of lithium = 420,000 / 6 = 70,000 tonnes of lithium per year

Cost of lithium metal per tonne = £20,000,000,000 / 5,000,000 = £4000 

Cost of lithium metal per kilogram = 4000 / 1000 = £4

Electrolysis:  The splitting up of a chemical into its elements by passing an electric current through it. 

Electrolyte: A chemical which can be split up by an electric current when molten or in solution. Ionic compounds are electrolytes. 

Negative electrode: anode

Positive electrode: cathode

Electrolysis method: 

The electrolyte is hot and molten, containing Lithium and…