Discovery of Lithium in Jammu and Kashmir: an immense potential

Lithium is the third element in the periodic table after hydrogen and helium.

- Dr. S. S. VERMA

It is also the lightest metal on Earth. Lithium is nonferrous, toxic and extremely reactive with water. It is so soft that it can be cut with a kitchen knife and has a low density, which makes it float on water.

Lithium is also termed a 'cosmic' metal as it is among the only three elements created at the beginning of our universe, according to NASA. A study funded by the American space agency revealed that the big bang created a small amount of lithium when the universe was formed initially, but "the majority of lithium gets manufactured in the nuclear reactions that power the nova explosions".

According to the study, the nova explosions distributed the mineral throughout the galaxy. Most of the lithium we use in electronics and medicine today is delivered by the nova explosions. As for its discovery on Earth, it took some time to isolate lithium. A Brazilian naturalist and statesman, Jozé Bonifácio de Andralda-e-Silva discovered the mineral petalite on the Swedish isle Utö in the 1790s, (Royal Society of Chemistry). Swedish chemist Johan August Arfwedson discovered this petalite in 1817, but wasn't able to entirely isolate the metal, though he did isolate one of its salts.