Lithium Metatungstate(LMT)

Heavy Liquid sold by LMT Liquid, llc

A Description of Heavy Liquids and Some of Their Uses.

Heavy Liquids or High Density Solutions are liquids that have a density much higher than water. Lithium Metatungstate or LMT is about 3 times as dense as water.

Types of Heavy Liquids

Organic- Bromoform , tetrabromoethane (TBE), and methylene iodide have been used for many years. Many labs are getting away from the organic heavy liquids because of safety issues.

Inorganic - These include LMT, SPT, and LST. These tungsten based products are considerably safer than the their organic counterparts.

Mineral Separations

Heavy liquids have many uses. The most common use is for density separations of minerals in the laboratory. Samples are obtained from a core sample or from a process stream and placed in the heavy liquid at a predetermined density. The light fraction will float and the heavy fraction will sink. The resulting products can be weighed to determine the heavy mineral content.

Paleontology

The separation of fossils from other mediums such as soil.

Coal Washing

The separation of coal from contaminates such as pyrite and ash.

General Research

Heavy liquids are used for general research because of their unique properties. Examples include light and sound studies.