Lithium Hydroxide Powder CAS 1310-65-2

This may be the closest use to ordinary people.
Modern urban water treatment plants require precise adjustment of the pH value of the water to make it weakly alkaline (pH 7.5-8.5) when treating raw water, in order to prevent corrosion of iron pipes and lead leaching in the water supply pipeline. Although sodium hydroxide and lime can also adjust alkalinity, LiOH is preferred in high-end drinking water treatment and direct drinking water systems due to its high solubility, mild alkalinity, and no introduction of sodium and calcium ion impurities.

Every summer, when you press the air conditioning remote control, the lithium bromide absorption refrigeration unit is operating at full capacity in the distant central air conditioning room.
The biggest difference between lithium bromide refrigeration unit and ordinary Freon air conditioner is that it does not use a compressor, but uses heat to drive refrigeration. This means that it is particularly suitable for utilizing factory waste heat, solar energy, and natural gas waste heat for refrigeration, with electricity consumption only 1/6 to 1/4 of that of ordinary air conditioners.

If you have been to a high-end swimming pool or a five-star hotel pool, you are likely to notice that the water quality is particularly clear and there is no pungent chlorine smell. This is likely due to the use of LiOH as a disinfectant in the swimming pool, and the precursor of LiOH is lithium hydroxide:
2LiOH + Cl₂ → LiClO + LiCl + H₂O
Compared to traditional sodium hypochlorite (bleach) and calcium hypochlorite (bleach powder), LiOH has three major advantages in daily life:
Excellent solubility: A 35% effective chlorine LiOH solution is clear and transparent, without producing white precipitates like bleach, making pool water look cleaner;

Low pH impact: Sodium hypochlorite can increase the pH of water (making it alkaline), while LiOH hardly changes the acidity or alkalinity of water, reducing the trouble of additional acid adjustment;
Free of calcium ions: Calcium hypochlorite can make water harder and long-term use can lead to pool wall scaling, while LiOH has no such problem.
The global annual consumption of LiOH for swimming pool disinfection is approximately 5000-8000 tons, all of which can be traced back to lithium hydroxide. So next time you swim in the pool, you can silently thank this white powder.

Laundry shops and industrial washing plants often use lithium bleach when bleaching clothes, and its core component is closely related to LiOH.
Traditional bleaching uses sodium hypochlorite (84 disinfectant), but it has two fatal drawbacks: one is that it can damage clothing fibers, especially silk and wool; The second is the production of toxic organic chlorides (such as chloroform).

The LiOH bleaching system prepared from LiOH as raw material has higher bleaching efficiency, less fiber damage, and less residue.

Specific application scenarios:
Hotel linen washing: White bed sheets and towels from five-star hotels are washed with lithium bleach to achieve higher whiteness and softer texture;
Disinfection of hospital fabrics: Surgical gowns and patient gowns in hospitals require high-temperature disinfection and bleaching. Lithium based bleaching agents have better high-temperature resistance than sodium based bleaching agents;

Household color bleaching products: Some high-end color bleaching liquids (such as oxygen purification and color bleaching powder) contain lithium compounds in their formulas to enhance stain removal and color protection effects.
In addition, LiOH is also used to produce lithium stearate, which is an additive for advanced soaps and detergents and can improve the stability and detergency of foam. Some of the high-end laundry detergents you use may have their descendants.

This may be the most surprising use. LiOH and its derivatives play multiple roles in the cosmetics industry:
1. Lithium soap - the base material of high-end moisturizing grease
Lithium stearate produced by reacting LiOH with stearic acid is an excellent emulsifier and thickener, widely used in:
High end face cream: for example, lithium soap base material in some noble face cream gives the product a silky texture and a stable emulsification system;

Lipstick: lithium soap can form a lasting moisturizing film on the lips to prevent dryness;
Shaving cream: lithium soap based shaving cream has delicate foam and good lubricity, which is a classic formula for men's beauty products.

2. Lithium carbonate - the "secret weapon" for emotional stability
Although lithium carbonate is a drug rather than a cosmetic, its precursor is LiOH.

Li2CO3 is a first-line medication for the treatment of bipolar disorder (bipolar disorder), with millions of patients worldwide taking it for a long time. In the field of cosmetics, trace amounts of lithium carbonate are added to certain "emotional fragrance" products - research has found that skin contact with trace amounts of lithium ions may produce a slight sedative effect through transdermal absorption. Of course, this use is still in the exploratory stage, but the direction is already clear.

3. pH regulator
Lithium hydroxide powder is used to adjust the pH value of cosmetics to weakly acidic (pH 5.5-6.5), which is consistent with the natural pH of human skin and reduces irritation. Compared to sodium hydroxide, LiOH has a milder alkalinity and is less likely to cause local alkalinity, making it more popular in high-end sensitive skin care products.

The application in the food industry is mainly reflected in three aspects:
1. Food processing aids
During the beer brewing process, it can be used to adjust the pH value of malt extract, optimize enzyme activity, and improve alcohol yield. Some craft beer brands explicitly use food grade LiOH as a pH regulator in their formulations.

2. Food packaging materials
It is one of the raw materials for producing polyester film (PET) modifiers. By using Kodel copolyester technology (Eastman Company), cyclohexanedicarboxylic acid units (derived from CHDA, which can be produced by hydrogenation of terephthalic acid, similar to the LiOH process) can be introduced into PET to improve the barrier and temperature resistance of PET bottles. The optimization of material properties for the carbonated beverage bottles and mineral water bottles you drink may benefit from this technological route.

3. Food grade carbon dioxide absorbent
In sealed food packaging (such as coffee bean nitrogen preservation and snack nitrogen packaging), it is necessary to absorb residual CO ₂ inside the packaging to prevent food oxidation and spoilage. Food grade LiOH microspheres are encapsulated in small bags inside packaging bags, slowly absorbing CO ₂ and extending the shelf life of food. High end coffee brands in Japan and Europe are already using this technology.

1. Indoor dehumidification and humidity control
It is an efficient moisture absorbent that can absorb moisture from the air and generate LiOH · H ₂ O. This characteristic is used for:
Precision instrument moisture-proof box: In the moisture-proof cabinet where your camera lenses, telescopes, and precious watches are stored at home, the desiccant may be LiOH based material;
Basement dehumidification: The core moisture absorption module of some high-end dehumidifiers uses LiOH loaded on silicone gel.

Which has a dehumidification efficiency more than 30% higher than ordinary calcium chloride.

2. Air purifier filter element
Some high-end air purifiers (such as IQAir and Blueair flagship models) are loaded with product micro powder in the activated carbon filter layer, which is used to simultaneously adsorb formaldehyde and adjust the pH value of the air outlet, making the blown air closer to natural weak alkalinity and reducing irritation to the respiratory tract.

3. Deodorization of shoe cabinet
This is a little-known life trick: put a small amount of product into a small cloth bag and put it in the shoe cabinet. Lithium hydroxide powder can absorb moisture (dehumidification) and odor molecules (alkaline and acidic odor substances such as isovaleric acid) inside the shoes at the same time, and the effect is more lasting than activated carbon. This usage has become popular in the Japanese housewife circle.