Where to get Lithium Chloride?

[harold]

I have Lithium Carbonate - this is not at all difficult to obtain. However it has very poor solubility in water and almost none in alcohol. Does anyone know where to obtain Lithium Chloride?
hh

 

[metalheaddude]

wtf is that stuff? Sounds more like an explosive than a hairloss remedy! Think you might be on the wrong forum. Osama does not blog here.

 

[harold]

wow thanks for the informative reply :roll: you really know your stuff.
hh

 

[oyo]

Harold did you buy medicinal lithium carbonate? i thought that required a prescription.

 

[harold]

One can get obtain such things without a script online fairly easily. And it is dirt cheap. But it has bugger all solubility. Though I am sure the all-knowing emoheaddude could find a way around that...
Am checking out a LiCl source on ebay currently. There is this place but they dont ship internationally (in Australia)
http://secure.sciencecompany.com/Lithiu ... 7C670.aspx
There are local sources but might have to get 500g which is....a bit much.
hh

 

[Follically Challenged]

http://www.sigmaaldrich.com is a good spot for chemicals.

 

[harold]

I've always been a bit wary of trying to order from such places. You more or less have to claim that you are using the chemicals for research. I guess its no big deal just not something I have done before. Anyone else have any experience?
hh

 

[CCS]

If you get myriadic (spelled wrong) acid for pool cleaning, I think that is HCl. Not sure how pure though. It is in water.

HCl + LiHCO3 --> Li+ + Cl- H2O + CO2.

That would then be a solution of Lithium Chloride. I don't know if you can buy the acid in a small enough amount. And it fumes and is very corrosive when concentrated. Unless you've taken some chemistry, I'd have to tell you how many pills to mix with how much acid to get a pH of 7. The reaction would get hot and bubble, adding to the fumes, so it would have to be done outdoors, inside a cup that is inside a pale of cold water.

But, vinegar and other acids could do the trick too. You don't need the Chloride ion. I would expect lithium to be about as soluble as sodium. So don't expect to dissolve more than lithium carbonate than you can table salt.

 

[harold]

Actually college thats exactly what I have done for now - mixed the lithium carbonate with some citric acid to create a lithium citrate solution. lithium citrate is MUCH more soluble in water. Unfortunately its not that soluble in alcohol (according to the little data I could find) which would be the great advantage of LiCl. But it should do in the meantime. Thanks for the suggestion - you make me feel a little more confident about that last move
hh