LiOH Solution

[Mick Partis]

farrid at ren.chem.rpi.edu (Dinah Thiers Farrington) wrote:
>
>Dear Readers,
>
>     I am trying to make a solution of LiOH in water.  Getting this
>material into solution is a real problem for me.  I am just making a 1 M
>solution, which is well within the published solubility limit but some
>of the solid just won't go into solution (despite stirring over 6
>hours). as anyone ever encountered this problem with Li solutions? Any
>advice or answers would be appreciated!
>                                    Thank you,
>                                    Dinah Farrington
>

The solubility of lithium hydroxide in water at 0C is 10.7%, so you 
should have no problems making a 1M solution.  How old is the bottle of 
solid?  If it has been sitting around for any appreciable amount of time, 
then the hydroxide will have absorbed carbon dioxide from the air, and 
you will have lithium carbonate (which is difficult to dissolve) present 
in the hydroxide.

-- 
Mick.Partis at HRI.AC.UK         Horticulture Research International
Tel: 01789-470382
FAX: 01789-470552