Extraction Of Li from minerals

The mineral forms of lithium are heated to a high enough temperature (1200 K - 1300 K) in order to crumble them and thus allow for subsequent reactions to more easily take place.  After this process, one of three methods can be applied. 

1. The use of sulfuric acid and sodium carbonate to allow the iron and aluminum to precipitate from the ore - from there, more sodium carbonate is applied to the remaining material allow the lithium to precipitate out, forming lithium carbonate. This is treated with hydrochloric acid to form lithium chloride.
2. The use of limestone to calcinate the ore, and then leaching with water, forming lithium hydroxide. Again, this is treated with hydrochloric acid to form lithium chloride.
3. The use of sulfuric acid, and then leaching with water, forming lithium sulfate monohydrate. This is treated with sodium carbonate to form lithium carbonate, and then hydrochloric acid to form lithium chloride.

The lithium chloride obtained from any of the three methods undergoes an oxidation-reduction reaction in an electrolytic cell, to separate the chloride ions from the lithium ions.  The chloride ions are oxidized, and the lithium ions are reduced.