Historical Background
Lithium was discovered by Johan August Arfwedson in 1817 when analyzing
petalite ore. The element discovered in the mineral formed compounds similar
to sodium and potassium. The similar compounds are lithium carbonate and
lithium hydroxide. These compounds were found to be less water soluble and
have a larger capacity to neutralize acid. Lithium has a high reactivity and
only appears naturally in the form of compounds, such as lithium hydroxide.
Lithium coated with white lithium hydroxide
[image from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:LithiumPelletsUSGOV.jpg]
Lithium hydroxide has a strong history of being used in canisters for spacecraft. In Apollo 13, lithium hydroxide canisters helped save the astronauts' lives. The crew was using the Lunar Module to survive after the oxygen explosion. The Lunar Module would only have been able to sustain two people for two days but needed to sustain three people for four days. The crew's spare lithium hydroxide canisters didn't fit into the Lunar Module's receptacle, but the crew put together an adapter that they called the "mailbox."
The "mailbox" used in the Lunar Module
to adapt the Command Module's lithium
hydroxide canisters.
[image from http://www.space.com/images/h_apollo13_day5_2_03.jpg]
Lithium coated with white lithium hydroxide
[image from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:LithiumPelletsUSGOV.jpg]
Lithium hydroxide has a strong history of being used in canisters for spacecraft. In Apollo 13, lithium hydroxide canisters helped save the astronauts' lives. The crew was using the Lunar Module to survive after the oxygen explosion. The Lunar Module would only have been able to sustain two people for two days but needed to sustain three people for four days. The crew's spare lithium hydroxide canisters didn't fit into the Lunar Module's receptacle, but the crew put together an adapter that they called the "mailbox."
The "mailbox" used in the Lunar Module
to adapt the Command Module's lithium
hydroxide canisters.
[image from http://www.space.com/images/h_apollo13_day5_2_03.jpg]
