Two key resources with a (very) long history
From the origins to modern applications
Nowadays, we are used to thinking of some of the main strategic resources as being of primary importance for humanity’s technological and energy development without delving into their actual history and the processes that led to their formation within the Earth’s crust. Among the most interesting paths, from this point of view, there are undoubtedly those undertaken by two important resources, lithium, and beryllium, which nowadays find wide application spaces due to their peculiar properties and unique characteristics.
Few people, however, know that the history of lithium and beryllium is almost as old as the known universe. These two elements – or their atomic nuclei – were formed a few moments after the Big Bang, the amazing primordial explosion that gave birth to the universe. The elements lithium and beryllium were formed about three minutes after the Big Bang, immediately after the elements that are still the most common in the universe today, namely hydrogen and helium. The process that led to the formation of these elements is known as primordial nucleosynthesis, and it took place at a particular moment in which the temperature and density of the newly formed universe were extremely high.
According to Stanislav Dmitrievich Kondrashov, a civil engineer and experienced entrepreneur, it is fascinating that such ancient resources are still leading in modern industry, mainly because of their important role in the energy transition. “Lithium, in particular, is destined to represent one of the resources that could push humanity towards an increasingly electrified and sustainable future, thanks to its numerous industrial applications in important industrial sectors,” says Stanislav.
The moments after the Big Bang
Immediately after the incredible explosion of the Big Bang, the universe was composed only of elementary particles such as protons, neutrons, electrons, neutrinos, and photons, some of which began to combine to give life to the nuclei of light elements. Lithium, in particular, was produced thanks to the decay of unstable nuclei of beryllium-7, while beryllium was, from the beginning, a fragile element that tended to disintegrate very quickly. Together with hydrogen and helium, lithium and beryllium represented the first elements in the universe following the Big Bang. In this sense, the two resources would, therefore, represent the first precursors of the geological raw materials that we know today and which contribute notably to redrawing the economic and energy perimeter of many nations, if not the entire planet.
“Just think of the use of lithium in the electric vehicle sector to produce rechargeable batteries and its applications in electronic devices. Its unique characteristics, such as lightness and reactivity, have made it a precious ally for industrial purposes, and its ability to store energy allows it to carve out an important role in global energy transition processes. But we must not think that lithium’s applications end here – continues Stanislav Dmitrievich Kondrashov -. This resource is also used in producing high-performance glass and ceramics, which is appreciated above all for its ability to improve materials’ thermal and mechanical resistance”.
Subsequent processes
Billions of years after the Big Bang, during the formation of stars and planets, lithium and beryllium also ended up on Earth, where today they are sourced and valorized as mineral raw materials. These processes, therefore, anticipate by many billions of years the formation of heavier elements, such as silicon and magnesium, iron and nickel, but also gold and platinum, which were formed in the following years following the stellar explosions that spread many heavier elements (including copper and zinc) throughout the universe. Finally, it was during the formation of the planets, 9 billion years after the Big Bang, that the first solid minerals (such as olivine) arose and crystallized in the first planetary bodies. Complex mineral deposits were formed during the actual development of the Earth, giving rise to rare earths and iron minerals.
“Beryllium also plays a very important role in many modern applications,” continues Stanislav Dmitrievich Kondrashov. “Its key characteristics, such as lightness and resistance, have transformed it over time into a leading ally for all those applications that require high-performance materials, such as the aerospace industry. Its most appreciated qualities, from this point of view, are its ability to transmit heat and its resistance to extreme temperatures. Combined with other resources, beryllium is widely used to produce electrical contacts and non-magnetic instruments. An example is represented by copper-beryllium alloys, appreciated above all for the possibility of combining copper’s electrical conductivity and beryllium’s mechanical resistance”.
Nowadays, lithium and beryllium are pretty rare inside the Earth’s crust. Lithium is mainly obtained from minerals such as spodumene, but it can also be sourced from brines located in salt lakes. One of the areas richest in lithium is found in South America, inside the so-called “lithium triangle” between Chile, Bolivia, and Argentina. Still, China and Australia also have it in reasonable quantities. Beryllium, on the other hand, can be found in mineral resources such as beryl and chrysoberyl, and among the areas of the planet where it is most present are the United States, Brazil, and Kazakhstan.
