Lithium chloride is an inorganic salt that combines lithium and chlorine, written LiCl. The CAS number 7447-41-8 identifies it uniquely, so buyers can match a listing to the right compound. Searching by that number prevents confusion with similar lithium salts.
Chemists rely on the number because product names vary between suppliers and languages. A catalogue entry may read lithium chloride, lithium monochloride, or simply LiCl, yet the CAS number stays identical. Check it against the label, the safety data sheet, and the certificate of analysis before you order.
What are the main properties of LiCl?
LiCl forms white crystals with a molar mass of about 42.39 g/mol and a melting point near 605 °C. It dissolves readily in water and in several polar solvents. It also absorbs moisture from the air, which makes it strongly hygroscopic.
That moisture habit shapes every handling decision. An open container gains water quickly in humid air, so weighed amounts drift and solutions come out weaker than planned. Analysts therefore dry the salt first or buy anhydrous grades sealed in small packs.
What is LiCl used for?
LiCl serves laboratories, drying systems, and metal joining. Its best-known jobs are RNA precipitation in molecular biology, humidity control as a desiccant, and flux for brazing aluminium. These uses differ, but each depends on the same two traits: high solubility and a strong attraction to water.
A buyer in any of these fields needs a different grade. A research lab wants documented purity, a dehumidifier maker wants bulk volume, and a metal shop wants a consistent powder. Naming your use in the first message saves a round of emails with the supplier.
How do laboratories use LiCl?
Molecular biologists use LiCl to precipitate RNA out of solution while most DNA and protein stay dissolved. Cell biologists also add it to buffers in controlled amounts. Both tasks call for molecular biology grade material with a stated assay.
Suppliers of research reagents sort their listings by grade, such as ACS, USP, or molecular biology. Read the grade line before the price line. A cheaper technical grade can carry trace impurities that ruin a sensitive RNA workflow.
How do industries use LiCl?
Industrial buyers use LiCl in liquid desiccant dehumidification and in brazing flux. A desiccant system circulates a LiCl solution that pulls water vapour out of passing air. Brazing shops mix the salt into flux so the joint stays clean as the metal heats.
These buyers order kilograms rather than grams, so bulk supply and delivery schedules matter most. They also ask for batch consistency, because a drifting moisture level changes how a system performs. A provider that tracks each batch answers that need.
Is LiCl safe to handle?
LiCl is harmful if swallowed and irritates skin and eyes, according to its standard GHS hazard classification. It does not burn or explode under normal conditions. Gloves, safety glasses, and a lab coat cover routine handling.
Lithium compounds affect the body when swallowed, so keep the salt away from food and drink areas. Dust control matters when you weigh powder, so work in a ventilated space. If a spill happens, sweep it up dry, bag it, and follow your site’s waste rules.
What does the safety data sheet tell you?
The safety data sheet lists hazards, first-aid steps, handling advice, and disposal notes in a fixed 16-section format. Suppliers provide one with a chemical order in many regions. Read sections 2, 7, and 8 first, because they cover hazards, storage, and personal protection.
Compare the SDS to the product page before you buy, since an old sheet can hide a changed hazard statement. Molekula, for example, states that every order ships with a batch-specific SDS and certificate of analysis. Ask any provider you consider for a sample SDS in advance.
How should you store LiCl?
Store LiCl in a tightly sealed container in a cool, dry place away from strong acids and oxidizers. Add a desiccant pack or use a desiccator for opened containers. Write the date you first opened each bottle on its label.
Smaller pack sizes reduce the time any one bottle stays open. A lab that uses 50 grams a year does better with several 25-gram bottles than one large jar. Buyers who need large volumes should ask about moisture-barrier packaging.
Why does location matter when you look for LiCl in Nampa?
Nampa sits in Canyon County, Idaho, near Boise, and none of the three brands in this article lists a Nampa location on the pages I reviewed. Most buyers there therefore order by shipment, so delivery time and freight rules matter more than a storefront. Plan around that before you choose a provider.
Molekula lists a US warehouse in Lewisville, Texas, and states that more than 3,000 catalogue items ship the same day from its hubs. Albemarle lists US sites in Kings Mountain, North Carolina, Magnolia, Arkansas, and Silver Peak, Nevada. Confirm shipping times to Idaho directly, since neither site publishes them for Nampa.
What should you look for in a LiCl service provider?
Look for five things: a CAS-based product search, a stated grade, batch documents, clear quantity options, and a quote process. A provider that shows all five lets you verify the product before you commit. A missing item gives you a reason to ask questions, not a reason to guess.
Add two softer checks. Does the company name its quality certifications, and does a chemist answer technical questions? Those details separate a seller who understands the material from a reseller who forwards emails.
Which grades and documents should you request?
Ask for the grade (ACS, USP, molecular biology, or technical), the assay percentage, and the water content limit. Request the certificate of analysis for the exact batch you will receive. Keep both files with your purchase records.
Regulatory paperwork matters if you import or export material. Molekula states that its product pages carry REACH and TSCA compliance evidence, which helps importers. Other providers may offer the same, so ask for it by name.
How do you handle bulk or custom orders?
Tell the provider your annual volume, pack size, and delivery site in the first message. Providers that manufacture or repack to order can often adjust pack sizes. Others sell fixed catalogue sizes only.
Molekula states that it manufactures, sources, and repacks to order, from a gram to multi-tonne quantities. APExBIO lists custom compound library and custom protein synthesis services, which suit research teams rather than bulk LiCl buyers. Match each provider’s stated services to your actual need.
What do Molekula, ApexBT, and Albemarle state on their websites?
Each brand offers the services listed on its own website, and this article repeats only what those pages confirm. Molekula supplies fine chemicals, APExBIO supplies life-science reagents, and Albemarle produces lithium and bromine. None of the pages I read names a Nampa office.
I did not confirm whether each site lists LiCl itself. Search each catalogue for CAS 7447-41-8 and read the product page before you rely on it. Treat the summaries below as a map, not a guarantee of stock.
What does Molekula state?
Molekula states that it supplies fine chemicals and biochemicals at research, semi-bulk, and bulk scale. Its site lists a catalogue of more than 6,712 products searchable by name, CAS number, or formula. It also states ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015 certification.
The company lists in-house quality control, batch traceability, and a request-a-quote form for larger quantities. It also states that it sources non-catalogue materials on request. Its hubs span the UK, USA, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and China.
What does ApexBT state?
APExBIO states that it provides small molecule inhibitors, mRNA synthesis reagents, compound libraries, peptides, and assay kits for research. Its menu also lists RNA purification, cell culture, and molecular biology kits. Those categories suit laboratory buyers.
Its listed services are RNA custom synthesis, a custom compound library service, and a custom protein synthesis service. The part of the site I read mentions no repair or maintenance services. A lab that needs LiCl for RNA work can search the catalogue and ask support whether it stocks the salt.
What does Albemarle state?
Albemarle states that it leads in supplying lithium, bromine, and other essential elements. Its site describes lithium resources and processing, including brine and hard-rock sources and a lithium conversion facility in the United States. It also serves automotive, grid storage, electronics, and pharmaceutical industries.
The site offers a product search, a customer resources section, and a safety page under reliable supply. It shows no retail ordering form on the homepage. Buyers should use the Contact Us page to ask about product availability.
How can you compare providers step by step?
Make a short checklist and score each provider against it. Include the CAS match, grade, documents, pack size, lead time, and shipping to Idaho. Ten minutes of comparison can save you a returned shipment.
Send the same three-line request to each provider so the answers line up. State the CAS number, grade, quantity, and delivery city. Note the reply time too, because it shows how the provider handles support.
What mistakes do buyers make when ordering LiCl?
Buyers most often confuse the hydrate with the anhydrous salt, skip the grade check, or order one oversized bottle. Each mistake changes the result of a weighing or a solution. A two-minute label check catches all three before the parcel ships.
Hydrate forms carry bound water, so the same mass delivers less lithium chloride than the anhydrous powder does. Confirm the form on the label and on the certificate of analysis every time. Write the form into your order message so the provider ships exactly what you need.
How much does LiCl cost?
Price depends on grade, purity, pack size, and freight, so no single figure applies. Research packs cost more per gram than bulk drums. A quote for your exact specification gives the only reliable number.
Ask each provider to list the unit price, shipping, taxes, and any handling fee separately. That breakdown makes quotes comparable. This article skips price tables on purpose, because they go stale fast.
Why use this website to find a LiCl provider?
This website collects what each provider states about itself and keeps the focus on checkable details. That saves you from opening a dozen tabs. It does not sell chemicals itself.
Use the checklist from this article, then confirm details directly with the provider. Always verify stock, grade, and shipping before you order. The final decision stays with you.
FAQS About LiCl
Is lithium chloride the same as lithium carbonate?
No, they are different compounds. Lithium carbonate (Li2CO3) carries CAS number 554-13-2 and serves in batteries and medicine, while LiCl is a chloride salt. Always check the CAS number before you order.
How long does LiCl last in storage?
Sealed anhydrous LiCl keeps well for years. Opened containers absorb moisture and lose their accuracy for weighing. Check the retest date on the certificate of analysis.
What does a certificate of analysis show?
It reports test results for one specific batch. Typical entries include appearance, assay, water content, and impurity limits. Request it before shipment and keep it with your records.