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Spodumene, aka lithium feldspar, is an interesting and unusual mineral. In the arts community it is used in ceramics, both in clay bodies and glazes as a source of lithia (Li2O), a strong flux. It is encountered in everyday life through batteries, from tiny watch batteries to large electric car batteries. It's use in batteries has risen so greatly that the need for sources of lithium has affected the economies of nations as ever expanding need continues to rise. New sources are actively being sought. This has had an effect on ceramicists who use it. Prices are up and it's harder to find. One supplier says theirs is a substitute. Another is selling 50 lb bags while supplies last. If it's just listed as spodumene where did it come from and is it an approximation made of several other materials. A supplier of Australian spodumene has this posted over their spodumene listing: "SPODUMENE (Australian) 50#: DUE TO NEW U.S.A. GOVERNMENTAL ACTIONS, THIS PRODUCT IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE FOR RETAIL SALES."
Spodumene is the major rock ore of lithium. However, underground lithium brine deposits are the number one source today. Chile has the largest reserves of lithium with China as number 2.
An additional note about spodumene is that it can occur in colored, transparent, pure crystalline form found in pegmatite veins in rock and as such is used a gemstone. The gems kunzite and hiddenite are forms of spodumene.
This listing for Spodumene is from a bag whose origin was likely the Foote Mineral Company in North Carolina in the early '80s. It's a high purity, low iron grade that fires white.
Spodumene is unusual as a ceramic material since it is one of the few minerals that expand slightly when fired. Kyanite is another mineral which undergoes the same expansion and pyrophyllite another, to a lesser degree. Used in clay bodies spodumene can counteract the natural shrinkage that happens with most clay bodies and glazes. It's possible to make a clay body that has essentially zero shrinkage when fired by incorporating these "expansion when fired" materials. The problem is they have low workability, practically no plasticity. They hover somewhere between clays and refractory cements depending on the formula. Many years ago I worked with a castable slip-like concoction that incorporated grolleg kaolin, spodumene, and secar 71. And so this listing is me finally giving up my stash of spodumene from the bag I bought those years ago. Here are a couple of old forum threads that mention zero shrink bodies:
{ http://community.ceramicartsdaily.org/topic/5631-jerry-rothman-no-shrink-clay-body-recipe/ } and:
{ http://www.potters.org/subject05172.htm }. There are undoubtedly more.
It's a pretty material, if you look at it closely. Like kyanite, it is made of elongated needle-like particles which sparkle in the right light. Unlike dark kyanite, spodumene is white. The mesh size is perhaps 120m and It's quite free flowing.
The Digital Fire ceramic materials database { https://digitalfire.com/4sight/material/spodumene_1287.html }, has this to say about spodumene:
"The name is from the Greek spodos, meaning burnt to ash. Spodumene is a silicate mineral often referred to as lithium feldspar. Its mineral form is characterized by hard needle-like grains of brilliant white color. It is used in ceramics as a source of lithia.
Lithia is a very powerful flux, especially when used in conjunction with potash and soda feldspars. As one of only a few natural lithium source materials, spodumene is a valuable component in glass and ceramic/enamel glazes (Li2O reduces thermal expansion, melting temperature and viscosity of the glaze melt).
Spodumene is only slightly soluble (in contrast to lithium carbonate). Because spodumene is a natural combination of silica, alumina and lithia it melts better than a chemically equivalent mixture of lithium carbonate, kaolin and silica. Since almost all raw glazes contain kaolin and silica it is normally fairly easy to juggle recipe ingredients in a ceramic chemistry calculation program to introduce spodumene to replace lithium carbonate. Spodumene can also be substituted for part of the feldspar complement in a recipe without disturbing overall chemistry too much (other than substituting Li2O for KNaO).
Some types of spodumene do contribute to the formation of bubbles in the glaze slurry. You can wash spodumene before use to alleviate this issue (mix it well in plenty of hot water, allow to settle overnight, pour off the water the next day and dry it).
Spodumene is a little more readily fusible than petalite since it is higher in lithium."
One supplier says this about spodumene:
"A source of lithia, which is a flux, that helps to develop copper blue tone ceramic glaze. Can replace feldspar and also reduces the vitrification temperature and shrinkage (contraction) rate in ceramic glazes and clays."
The Wiki article on it is here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spodumene
"Spodumene is a pyroxene mineral....and is a source of lithium. It occurs as colorless to yellowish, purplish, or lilac kunzite (see below), yellowish-green or emerald-green hiddenite, prismatic crystals, often of great size..... It was discovered by Brazilian naturalist Jose Bonifacio de Andrada e Silva. The name is derived from the Greek spodumenos, meaning "burnt to ashes," owing to the opaque, ash-grey appearance of material refined for use in industry.... Spodumene is an important source of lithium for use in ceramics, mobile phone and automotive batteries, medicine, Pyroceram and as a fluxing agent....Transparent [crystalline] material has long been used as a gemstone with varieties kunzite and hiddenite noted for their strong pleochroism. Source localities include Afghanistan, Australia, Brazil, Madagascar, Pakistan, Québec in Canada and North Carolina, California in the US."-
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Apr 20, 2024
This is a great little tool to use when cleaning your pieces. The seller is very responsive to communication and stands behind his product. You will be pleased that you have it.
Martha Hixon
Mar 8, 2024
Nothing but smooth sailing ahead :)
Bryce Arty
Feb 21, 2023
Super fast shipping. Good quality product.
Douglas Mancosky
Oct 19, 2022
The product is Excellent!!!! and on time! fast shipping is important :)
Maria Soledad
Jan 5, 2021
exactly what I needed and FAST.
Martha Dignazio