Lithium Hydroxide

Krasnoyarsk Chemical Metallurgical Plant (CMP) was established in 1956 to manufacture lithium hydroxide monohydrate from spodumene concentrates. At the same time the mining workshop was put into operation. CMP started to develop Torgashinsky limestone deposit and commissioned lime-crushing facility for core production operations. In December, 1964 CMP organized the production of ‘200” grade belito-aluminate cement from lime wastes. By 1965 the full design capacity of lithium hydroxide production has been reached. In the 60s the enterprise has customized an extraction scheme for obtaining lithium, cesium and rubidium from liquors of main production, which permitted to start production of alkali metals chlorides. In 1972 company began production of synthetic NaA type zeolites for the application in petrochemical industry. Further in the 1980s CMP developed the production of high pure rubidium and cesium and commissioned lithium metal pilot plant. Battery quality of lithium metal has been achieved. CMP successfully exported lithium metal ingots to Germany, Japan and Czech Republic. In 1998 due to high energy and raw materials prices, CMP switched to conversion of imported lithium carbonate into lithium hydroxide. Within 2000-2002 company implemented production of granulated lithium metal and lithium metal packing under inert gas atmosphere. Today CMP manufactures and exports: - lithium hydroxide monohydrate of various grades (battery grade, technical grade, high purity grade, wet grade, oil-coated grade); - lithium metal (ingots, cylinders, granules); - high purity alkali metals (sodium, potassium, rubidium, cesium) in ampoules