Lithium carbonate, as an important inorganic salt compound, plays an indispensable role in the glass manufacturing industry. As a flux, lithium carbonate not only significantly improves the production efficiency and quality of glass, but also gives the glass a more favorable performance, making it widely used in many fields such as construction, household, optics, electronics and so on.

I. Basic properties of lithium carbonate

Lithium carbonate (Li₂CO₃) is a white powdery solid, melting point of about 723 ℃, can be maintained at high temperatures with good stability. It is easily soluble in water and other solvents, and has good solubility, which helps to achieve uniform mixing of raw materials in the glass manufacturing process. In addition, lithium carbonate is weakly alkaline, and can react with acidic raw materials to generate silicate and aluminate and other major components of the glass, which has an important impact on the nature and structure of the glass.

Second, the role of lithium carbonate in glass manufacturing mechanism

Reduce the melting temperature: In the process of glass manufacturing, raw materials need to be melted at high temperature to form glass liquid. Due to its high melting point and good reactivity, lithium carbonate can melt and react with other raw materials at lower temperatures, thus well reducing the melting temperature of glass. This not only saves energy, but also reduces the production of bubbles and precipitation crystal phenomenon at high temperature and improves the quality of glass.

Improvement of glass properties: The addition of lithium carbonate can significantly improve the performance of the glass. First of all, it can improve the refractive index and light transmittance of the glass, which is especially important for optical glass. Secondly, lithium carbonate can enhance the chemical stability of the glass, make its surface silicate network more stable, and improve the resistance to hydrolysis and corrosion resistance. In addition, lithium carbonate can also adjust the thermal expansion coefficient, modulus of elasticity and tensile strength of glass and other physical properties, to meet the needs of specific areas of glass performance.

Improve processing performance: Glass is prone to cracks and deformation during processing, affecting product quality. The addition of lithium carbonate can reduce the softening temperature of the glass and improve its fluidity, which makes the glass easier to process and mold and improves the production efficiency. At the same time, lithium carbonate can also improve the thermal shock resistance of the glass, reducing the rupture phenomenon caused by rapid temperature changes.

Third, the specific effect of lithium carbonate in glass manufacturing

Optimize the quality of glass: lithium carbonate as a flux, can fully react with other raw materials to generate a uniform glass liquid, reduce impurities and bubbles, improve the purity and transparency of the glass. This is very important for the production of optical glass and special glass.

Increased productivity: Lower melting temperatures not only save energy costs, but also shorten production cycles. In addition, the improved processability makes the glass smoother in subsequent processes such as molding, cutting, polishing, etc., and improves overall production efficiency.

Broadening of application areas: The use of lithium carbonate has significantly improved the performance of glass, meeting the needs of a wider range of applications. For example, in the optical field, glass with high refractive index and light transmittance is widely used in lenses, filters and other optical devices; in the electronics field, glass with good chemical stability and physical properties is used as key components such as substrates and packaging materials.