Lithium-7

Infobox isotope

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General	|- | Symbol | Li-7 |- | Atomic Number | |- | Atomic Mass | |- | Neutrons | |- | Protons | |- | Nuclide Data |- | Half-life | |- | Decay mode | |- | Daughter isotopes | |- | Spin | |- | Excess energy | |- | Binding energy |

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Lithium-7 (Li ) is a stable isotope of the chemical element lithium. It is one of the two stable isotopes of lithium, the other being lithium-6. Lithium-7 is the more abundant of the two, comprising about 92.5% of naturally occurring lithium.

Properties

Lithium-7 has three protons and four neutrons in its nucleus. It is a stable isotope, meaning it does not undergo radioactive decay. The atomic mass of lithium-7 is approximately 7.016 u.

Occurrence

Lithium-7 is found naturally in the environment, primarily in minerals such as spodumene, lepidolite, and petalite. It is also present in seawater, albeit in low concentrations.

Applications

Lithium-7 has several important applications:

• Nuclear Industry: Lithium-7 is used in nuclear reactors as a coolant and in the production of tritium. It is preferred over lithium-6 in these applications due to its lower neutron absorption cross-section.

• Medical Uses: Lithium-7 is used in the production of lithium carbonate, which is used in the treatment of bipolar disorder.

• Research: It is used in various scientific research applications, including studies of nuclear reactions and properties of matter.

Production

Lithium-7 is produced both naturally and artificially. Natural production occurs through cosmic ray spallation and nuclear reactions in stars. Artificial production involves the separation of lithium isotopes using methods such as ion exchange and distillation.

Isotopic Separation

The separation of lithium-7 from lithium-6 is a critical process in the nuclear industry. Techniques such as chemical exchange and centrifugation are employed to achieve the desired isotopic purity.

Environmental Impact

The extraction and processing of lithium, including lithium-7, can have environmental impacts, such as habitat destruction and water pollution. Efforts are being made to develop more sustainable methods of lithium extraction and processing.

Also see

• Lithium
• Lithium-6
• Isotopes of lithium
• Nuclear reactor
• Bipolar disorder