Alkali metals are Group 1 metals with one valence electron. They are soft, electropositive and generally become more reactive down the group. Their compounds are central to batteries, fertilizers, glass, chemical processing and biological systems.
Overview
Because elemental alkali metals react readily with water and oxygen, engineering applications usually depend on controlled compounds, sealed systems or carefully managed metallic forms. Lithium is especially important in energy storage, sodium has major chemical and heat-transfer roles, and potassium compounds are indispensable in agriculture.
Elements in this category
Using periodic-table categories in engineering
Periodic-table categories are useful for organizing trends, but they are not a substitute for material specifications. Engineering performance depends on purity, microstructure, processing history, temperature, environment and the way an element is combined into alloys or compounds.
Explore further: Periodic Table · Materials Library · Material Properties
