User:Oldboltonian/sandbox

Untangling element articles
I came upon Wikiproject elements after doing some cleanup on the lithium page, and being struck by the combination of three topics in one. It seems this is quite general to many articles, at least according to a quick scan of the first three rows of the PT.

I recommend that each article be divided into two.

1. New articles entitled, say, Elemental XXX. This article will be in exactly the same form as that recommended for all other chemical compounds in the Manual of Style/Chemistry. After all, elemental forms are only unique chemical compounds in that they only contain one element. No need to treat them differently IMHO.

2. The existing article will have information specific to the chemistry of the elemental form migrated out except where it illustrates the general chemistry of the element.

Looking forward to your reaction to the concept. Please don't bother wordsmithing the two sections below, they serve only to illustrate the principle.

Sections to be migrated out of the article "Lithium"
Infobox lithium:

- Move from Infobox 'Physical Properties' and 'Other Properties'

- Copy from 'History' In 1855, larger quantities of lithium were produced through the electrolysis of lithium chloride by Robert Bunsen and Augustus Matthiessen.[58][72] The discovery of this procedure led to commercial production of lithium in 1923 by the German company Metallgesellschaft AG, which performed an electrolysis of a liquid mixture of lithium chloride and potassium chloride.[58][73][74] to History - Copy from Chemistry ''Lithium reacts with water easily, but with noticeably less vigor than other alkali metals. The reaction forms hydrogen gas and lithium hydroxide in aqueous solution.[4] Because of its reactivity with water, lithium is usually stored in a hydrocarbon sealant, often petroleum jelly. Though the heavier alkali metals can be stored in denser substances such as mineral oil, lithium is not dense enough to fully submerge itself in these liquids.[17] In moist air, lithium rapidly tarnishes to form a black coating of lithium hydroxide (LiOH and LiOH·H2O), lithium nitride (Li3N) and lithium carbonate (Li2CO3, the result of a secondary reaction between LiOH and CO2).[40]

''When the metal burns strongly, the flame becomes a brilliant silver. Lithium will ignite and burn in oxygen when exposed to water or water vapors.[83] Lithium is flammable, and it is potentially explosive when exposed to air and especially to water, though less so than the other alkali metals. The lithium-water reaction at normal temperatures is brisk but nonviolent because the hydrogen produced does not ignite on its own. As with all alkali metals, lithium fires are difficult to extinguish, requiring dry powder fire extinguishers (Class D type). Lithium is one of the few metals that react with nitrogen under normal conditions.[84][85]''

Copy from Military applications Metallic lithium and its complex hydrides, such as Li[AlH4], are used as high-energy additives to rocket propellants.[17]

Move section 'Precautions'

Example New article ("Elemental Lithium")
ElementalLithium is a metal with the formula Li. It is a soft, silvery-white alkali metal. Under standard conditions, it is the lightest metal and the lightest solid element. Like all alkali metals, lithium is highly reactive and flammable, and must be stored in mineral oil. When cut, it exhibits a metallic luster, but moist air corrodes it quickly to a dull silvery gray, then black tarnish.

Production and reactions
Lithium metal is produced by electrolytic reduction of lithium chloride

Applications
Elemental lithium has no known industrial uses but it is used a precursor in academic synthetic chemistry. It can appear as an unwanted layer in lithium batteries, and there is much research to develop solid state batteries which could use lithium as cathode.