Editing Lithium (section)

=== Metallurgy ===
Lithium (e.g. as lithium carbonate) is used as an additive to [[continuous casting]] mould flux slags where it increases fluidity,<ref>{{citation |title=The Theory and Practice of Mold Fluxes Used in Continuous Casting: A Compilation of Papers on Continuous Casting Fluxes Given at the 61st and 62nd Steelmaking Conference |publisher=Iron and Steel Society}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |doi=10.4028/www.scientific.net/MSF.675-677.877 |title=Effects of Li<sub>2</sub>CO<sub>3</sub> on Properties of Mould Flux for High Speed Continuous Casting |journal=Materials Science Forum |volume=675–677 |pages=877–880 |year=2011 |last1=Lu |first1=Y. Q. |last2=Zhang |first2=G. D. |last3=Jiang |first3=M. F. |last4=Liu |first4=H. X. |last5=Li |first5=T. |s2cid=136666669}}</ref> a use which accounts for 5% of global lithium use (2011).<ref name="minerals.usgs.gov" /> Lithium compounds are also used as additives (fluxes) to [[foundry sand]] for iron casting to reduce veining.<ref>{{citation |url=http://www.afsinc.org/multimedia/contentMC.cfm?ItemNumber=16784 |title=Testing 1-2-3: Eliminating Veining Defects |work=Modern Casting |date=July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402163428/http://www.afsinc.org/multimedia/contentMC.cfm?ItemNumber=16784 |archive-date=2 April 2015 |access-date=15 March 2015}}</ref>

Lithium (as [[lithium fluoride]]) is used as an additive to aluminium smelters ([[Hall–Héroult process]]), reducing melting temperature and increasing electrical resistance,<ref>{{citation |title=Chemical and Physical Properties of the Hall-Héroult Electrolyte |first=W. |last=Haupin |page=449 |work=Molten Salt Chemistry: An Introduction and Selected Applications |editor-first=Gleb |editor-last=Mamantov |editor-first2=Roberto |editor-last2=Marassi |publisher=Springer |date=1987}}</ref> a use which accounts for 3% of production (2011).<ref name="minerals.usgs.gov" />

When used as a [[flux (metallurgy)|flux]] for [[welding]] or [[soldering]], metallic lithium promotes the fusing of metals during the process<ref>{{Cite book |url={{google books |plainurl=y |id=Ua2SVcUBHZgC}} |title=Handbook of Lithium and Natural Calcium Chloride |last=Garrett |first=Donald E. |date=2004-04-05 |publisher=Academic Press |isbn=978-0-08-047290-4 |page=200 |language=en |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161203191847/https://books.google.com/books?id=Ua2SVcUBHZgC |archive-date=3 December 2016}}</ref> and eliminates the formation of [[oxide]]s by absorbing impurities.<ref>{{Cite book |url={{google books |plainurl=y |id=OG7PzP5xiHwC |page=171}} |title=Aluminum-Lithium Alloys: Processing, Properties, and Applications |last1=Prasad |first1=N. Eswara |last2=Gokhale |first2=Amol |last3=Wanhill |first3=R. J. H. |date=2013-09-20 |publisher=Butterworth-Heinemann |isbn=978-0-12-401679-8 |language=en |access-date=6 November 2020 |archive-date=1 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210101021730/https://books.google.com/books?id=OG7PzP5xiHwC&q=metallic+lithium+flux+removes+impurities&pg=PA171 |url-status=live}}</ref> [[Alloy]]s of the metal with aluminium, [[cadmium]], copper and [[manganese]] are used to make high-performance, low density aircraft parts (see also [[Al-Li|Lithium-aluminium alloys]]).<ref>{{cite book |author1=Davis, Joseph R. ASM International. Handbook Committee |title=Aluminum and aluminum alloys |url={{google books |plainurl=y |id=Lskj5k3PSIcC |page=121}} |access-date=16 May 2011 |date=1993 |publisher=ASM International |isbn=978-0-87170-496-2 |pages=121– |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130528093207/http://books.google.com/books?id=Lskj5k3PSIcC&pg=PA121 |archive-date=28 May 2013}}</ref>