Lithium CarbonateEdit

Lithium carbonate is an inorganic compound with the formula Li2CO3. It is a white, odorless solid that forms the basis of the most widely used lithium salts in industry and medicine. The compound occurs naturally in some brine deposits and is produced commercially through two principal routes: brine evaporation of lithium-rich mineral brines and the processing of hard rock lithium ores such as spodumene. The medical applications of lithium carbonate, particularly as a mood stabilizer for bipolar disorder, are long established. In medicine, lithium carbonate is used to treat bipolar disorder and certain other psychiatric conditions, often under strict clinical supervision. Beyond medicine, lithium carbonate is central to the modern energy transition due to its role in lithium-ion batteries for portable electronics and electric vehicles, as well as in stationary energy storage. The global demand for lithium carbonate has grown rapidly as economies pursue greater energy independence and a decarbonized grid. Geography matters here: lithium supplies are concentrated in a few regions, with brine-based sources in the arid high-altitude basins of South America and hard rock deposits in Australia and elsewhere, shaping geopolitical and economic strategies for energy and industry. Lithium and Lithium-ion battery technology are inextricably linked to these supply dynamics, and the question of how best to develop and regulate these resources is a standing policy debate in many countries. Salar de Atacama in Chile, Pilbara in Australia, and other deposits illustrate how geology, technology, and policy intersect in practice.