Electrical resistivity of liquid and solid lithium

Abstract

The electrical resistivity of lithium contained in a stainless steel capillary has been determined from 15 to 460 °C by means of a Kelvin–Wheatstone bridge. The resistivity of the liquid between 180 and 460 ° obeys equation (i)ρ₁/Ω m = 16·476 × 10^–8+ 4·303 × 10^–10θ_c– 2·297 × 10^–13θ_c²(i) where θ_c is in °C. The corresponding equation for the solid metal is (ii) from 15 to 180 °C. Lithium which has ρ_s/Ω m = 8·685 × 10^–8+ 3·261 × 10^–10θ_c+ 1·821 × 10^–13θ_c²(ii) been purified by filtration followed by gettering with titanium and yttrium at 480 °C has the lowest resistivity. Less-elaborate methods of purification produce metal with a higher resistivity. For the liquid, dρ/dθ_c, though positive, decreases with increasing temperature, whereas for the solid, it increases with increasing temperature.