Lithium Chloride

Key Features

• Available in solid and aqueous formulations — choose the form that fits your process, including anhydrous LiCl and hydrous LiCl·H₂O
• Exceptional solubility — dissolves easily and consistently in water and other polar solvents, for smooth, repeatable batching
• Strongly hygroscopic — high moisture uptake is precisely what makes it effective as a desiccant and dehumidification medium
• High purity — produced to international purity standards, suitable for both industrial processing and laboratory research
• Moisture-protective packing — poly-lined drums, HDPE barrels and IBC tote tanks, with custom packing available on request
• Reliable, consistent supply — in-house manufacturing and in-process quality control rather than repackaged traded material

Technical Specifications

Applications

The main lithium chloride use cases we supply into are:

• Dehumidification systems — lithium chloride brine is used as the liquid desiccant that strips moisture from process and building air
• Air-conditioning — as the absorbent medium in absorption cooling and industrial air-treatment systems
• Brazing fluxes and brazing baths — as a flux constituent that helps dissolve surface oxides so filler metal wets and flows cleanly
• Lithium metal production — as the electrolyte in molten-salt electrolysis, typically in a LiCl/KCl bath
• Photovoltaic cells — in solar cell manufacturing and related materials processing
• Batteries and energy storage — as a precursor and process chemical in the lithium value chain
• Laboratory and chemical synthesis — as a reagent, drying agent and in protein/nucleic-acid precipitation work
• Pyrotechnics — lithium salts contribute the characteristic crimson flame colour

For a fuller treatment of where and why this salt is used, see our guide to the top 7 applications of lithium chloride.

Industries Served

• HVAC & dehumidification — liquid-desiccant air handling, industrial drying, humidity control
• Metallurgy & metal fabrication — brazing operations and molten-salt electrolysis
• Solar & electronics — photovoltaic cell production and materials processing
• Batteries & energy storage — lithium compound supply chains
• Pharmaceuticals & biotechnology — intermediates and laboratory-scale processing
• Research laboratories & academia — analytical and synthetic chemistry
• Chemical manufacturing — as a reagent and process aid

Benefits

• One supplier for the lithium range — source alongside lithium bromide, lithium hydroxide, lithium acetate and lithium silicate rather than juggling vendors
• Form flexibility cuts process steps — taking an aqueous grade where your process needs solution avoids in-house dissolving, handling and dust control
• Packaging built for a hygroscopic salt — moisture-protective containers reduce caking and off-spec material on arrival
• Competitive landed cost — domestic Indian manufacture avoids import lead times, duties and currency exposure
• Technical support before you order — direct access to people who make the product, not a call-centre script
• Bulk-to-lab quantities — from 25 kg drums for laboratory use up to 1000 L IBCs for plant-scale consumption

Why Choose Bee Chems

Bee Chems was established in 1972 by Mr. Somendra Bhalla, a chemical engineer and the company’s present CEO, and has spent five decades solving customer problems through applied chemistry. We were the first Indian company to manufacture colloidal silica, and the first to produce activated desiccants and eco-friendly silica gel — a track record of developing every one of our products in-house, without external licensing or support.

That matters when you are choosing a lithium chloride supplier. Our Kanpur plant runs state-of-the-art production systems backed by a well-equipped general and R&D laboratory used for in-process quality control and new product development, and we serve more than 200 regular customers across five-plus product categories, from pharma and oil to electronics and paints. Request a quote →

Certifications & Compliance

• Regulatory approvals — Bee Chems maintains the regulatory approvals and management systems required to supply specialty chemicals to regulated industries, including pharmaceutical and electronics customers
• In-process quality control — every batch is checked through our in-house general and R&D laboratory before release
• Safety documentation — a current Safety Data Sheet (SDS) and Certificate of Analysis (CoA) are supplied with shipments on request
• Responsible manufacturing — operations are run on 3R principles: Reduce, Recycle, Recover

How It Works

Lithium chloride is produced by reacting a lithium base — lithium carbonate, lithium oxide or lithium hydroxide — with hydrochloric acid, then crystallising and drying the resulting salt. Controlling that drying step is what determines whether you get the anhydrous form (LiCl) or the hydrous form (LiCl·H₂O), which carries one molecule of water.

Its usefulness comes down to one property: an unusually strong affinity for water. In a dehumidification or absorption air-conditioning system, a concentrated lithium chloride brine is exposed to the incoming air stream. Because the salt solution’s vapour pressure is lower than that of the air, water vapour moves out of the air and into the brine, drying the air without cooling it below its dew point. The now-diluted brine is regenerated with heat, driving the absorbed water off so the solution can be recirculated — a continuous cycle rather than a consumable.

In lithium metal production the role is different. Molten lithium chloride, usually blended with potassium chloride to lower the operating temperature, acts as the electrolyte in an electrolytic cell: passing current through the molten bath reduces lithium ions to lithium metal at the cathode while chlorine is released at the anode. In brazing, the same salt behaves as a flux component, dissolving the oxide film on the metal surface so the filler alloy can wet and bond properly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. What is lithium chloride used for?
Ans: Lithium chloride is used in dehumidification systems, air-conditioning, brazing fluxes and brazing baths, as the electrolyte in lithium metal production, and in photovoltaic cells — along with laboratory and pharmaceutical applications. Its hygroscopic nature and high solubility are what drive most of these uses.

Q2.  How do I buy lithium chloride from Bee Chems?
Ans: Send us your required form (solid or aqueous), quantity and intended application through our contact page or by phone, and we will come back with pricing, packing options and lead time. We supply both bulk plant quantities and smaller laboratory quantities.

Q3.  In which forms is lithium chloride available?
Ans: We supply it in solid form — anhydrous LiCl and hydrous LiCl·H₂O — and as an aqueous solution. Anhydrous grades are preferred for electrolysis, batteries and moisture-sensitive chemistry; aqueous grades save you a dissolving step where your process already runs in solution.

Q4.  What is the difference between anhydrous and hydrous lithium chloride?
Ans: Anhydrous lithium chloride contains no water of crystallisation, which is essential for electrolysis and other water-sensitive processes. Hydrous lithium chloride (LiCl·H₂O) carries one molecule of water per formula unit, making it less suitable for electrolysis but perfectly usable in many other applications.

Q5.  How should lithium chloride be stored?
Ans: Store it in tightly sealed containers in a dry area, away from moisture and humidity, because the salt is strongly hygroscopic and will absorb atmospheric water if left open. Keep containers closed between uses and follow the handling guidance in the Safety Data Sheet supplied with your order.

Q6.  Can lithium chloride be used for laboratory applications?
Ans: Yes. High-purity lithium chloride is suitable for laboratory research, analytical work and specialised chemical synthesis, in addition to industrial-scale processing. Tell us the application and we will advise on the appropriate grade.

Q7.  Are you a lithium chloride manufacturer or a trader?
Ans: We are a manufacturer. Bee Chems has produced specialty chemicals from its own plant since 1972 and develops its products in-house, which is what lets us hold consistent quality batch to batch and support customers technically rather than only commercially.

Q8.  What packing sizes are available?
Ans: Powder is supplied in 25 kg and 50 kg poly-lined drums; larger quantities go in 250 kg HDPE barrels, and solution in 1000 L IBC/tote tanks. Custom packing can be arranged for special requirements.