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Lithium is used for far more than electric-car batteries. The U.S. Geological Survey’s 2026 global estimate assigns 4% of lithium use to ceramics and glass, 2% to lubricating greases, 1% to air treatment, 1% to continuous-casting mold flux powders, 1% to medical applications and 3% to other uses. Batteries account for the remaining 88%, but that category covers batteries generally, not electric cars alone.
The non-battery applications range from mineral concentrates added to glass and ceramic formulations to lithium-complex grease used in machinery, specialized carbon-dioxide removal systems and pharmaceutical manufacturing. Each consumes lithium in a different form and operates in a different market.
The main non-battery uses of lithium
The percentages below are the USGS estimate for global lithium end use published in the 2026 Mineral Commodity Summaries. They describe the share of lithium consumed by each application, not the share of ore reserves, mining revenue or the value of finished products.
| Application | Share of global lithium use (2026) | How lithium is used | Typical setting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ceramics and glass | 4% | Lithium minerals or compounds in specialized formulations | Glass and ceramic manufacturing |
| Lubricating greases | 2% | Lithium compounds act as grease thickeners | Industrial, automotive and equipment maintenance |
| Air treatment | 1% | Compounds associated with carbon-dioxide removal and air purification | Confined environments such as spacecraft and submarines |
| Continuous-casting mold flux powders | 1% | Lithium-containing metallurgical process material | Industrial metal production |
| Medical | 1% | Lithium-consuming pharmaceutical preparation | Medical-pharmaceutical manufacturing |
| Other uses | 3% | Application-specific uses, including activity involving aluminum alloys | Various manufacturing sectors |
“Batteries” make up 88% in the same estimate. Since the USGS publishes a single battery category, it is not valid to treat 88% as an electric-vehicle-only figure. Portable electronics, stationary storage and other battery products are included in that broad category.
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What changed between the 2025 and 2026 estimates?
The USGS estimate moved slightly from 2025 to 2026. The change is most visible in the split between batteries and ceramics and glass; the other listed categories remain at the same rounded percentages.
| End-use category | 2025 global estimate | 2026 global estimate |
|---|---|---|
| Batteries | 87% | 88% |
| Ceramics and glass | 5% | 4% |
| Lubricating greases | 2% | 2% |
| Air treatment | 1% | 1% |
| Continuous-casting mold flux powders | 1% | 1% |
| Medical | 1% | 1% |
| Other uses | 3% | 3% |
These are rounded, dated global estimates. A country, manufacturer or year can have a different mix because lithium use varies by location and industrial activity. The percentages should therefore be used to understand relative scale, not to predict the exact composition of a particular product or national market.
Ceramics and glass: the largest non-battery category
Ceramics and glass are the largest documented non-battery destination for lithium, representing 4% of global use in the 2026 estimate. Lithium minerals can be used directly as mineral concentrates, and lithium-containing formulations are used to make specialized glass and ceramic products.
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In this context, lithium is a formulation ingredient rather than an energy-storage material. A manufacturer selects a lithium-bearing mineral or compound as part of a carefully controlled recipe for a glass or ceramic body. The material can be introduced as a concentrate, so the product does not have to start with the same highly processed lithium chemicals used in batteries.
Where this appears
The category covers industrial glass and ceramic production rather than a single consumer item. A finished object may not advertise lithium prominently because the lithium-bearing material is one component of a larger batch. The USGS category is consequently best understood as a manufacturing use, not as a claim that ordinary household glass contains a measurable lithium addition.
How to interpret the 4% share
The 4% figure means ceramics and glass consume about four units of every 100 units of global lithium end use in the USGS 2026 estimate. It does not mean 4% of all glass or ceramic products contain lithium, and it does not measure the dollar value of those products.
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Lubricating greases: why lithium is used as a thickener
Lubricating greases account for 2% of global lithium use in the 2026 estimate. Lithium compounds are used as thickeners: they give lubricating oil a semi-solid structure so it can remain where lubrication is needed instead of behaving like a free-flowing liquid.
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Lithium-complex grease is a concrete maintenance product connected to this use. It is supplied for machinery and equipment service, where grease is applied to moving parts, bearings or other points specified by the equipment maker. The lithium is part of the thickener system; it is not the oil itself and is not being used as a battery active material.
What a label does and does not tell you
A label that says “lithium grease” identifies the thickener family, not a universal performance grade. Compatibility, operating temperature, load, water exposure and the equipment manufacturer’s specification still determine whether a particular grease is appropriate. The USGS data establish lithium’s role in grease manufacture, but they do not establish a single formulation, brand, service interval or substitute for every machine.
Why this matters to a reader
Grease is one of the easiest non-battery uses to encounter as a physical product. It is also a reminder that a small percentage of global lithium demand can support a large number of maintenance products across many industries. The 2% share is a consumption estimate for the lithium input, not a statement that 2% of all grease products are lithium-based.
Air treatment: specialized carbon-dioxide removal
Air treatment represents 1% of global lithium use in the 2026 USGS estimate. The documented application is specialized: lithium compounds are associated with removing carbon dioxide and purifying air in confined environments.
Where the technology is used
Spacecraft and submarines are the clearest examples because people must breathe inside a sealed or tightly controlled atmosphere for extended periods. An air-treatment system in such an environment has to manage contaminants while conserving the available air supply. Lithium-containing materials can be part of the chemical process used for carbon-dioxide removal.
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What this does not mean
This category should not be read as evidence that ordinary household air purifiers use lithium. Consumer air cleaners commonly rely on mechanical filtration or other technologies, while the USGS category concerns a specialized industrial and life-support application. The source does not provide a universal consumer product specification or a claim that lithium is present in every confined-environment purifier.
Why the share is small but strategically important
At 1%, air treatment is a minor share of total lithium demand, yet the application can be critical wherever air cannot simply be replaced with fresh outside air. The importance of a use is not determined only by its tonnage; a small, specialized market can still have demanding reliability requirements.
Continuous-casting mold flux powders in metal production
Lithium compounds are also used in mold-flux powders for continuous casting, another 1% category in the 2026 estimate. Continuous casting is an industrial process in which molten metal is shaped and solidified through a mold. Mold flux is a process material added around the casting operation, and lithium-bearing formulations are used where the process specification calls for them.
Why this is an industrial input
Mold-flux powder is purchased by metal producers as part of a controlled production process. It is not normally sold as a general-purpose consumer material, and a plant selects a formulation according to its equipment, metal grade and operating practice. The USGS percentage therefore tracks lithium consumed in metallurgy, not the amount of lithium in finished steel or other cast products.
How to compare it with grease or glass
Unlike grease, mold flux is rarely encountered outside a factory. Unlike glass and ceramics, it is not primarily a component of the finished object. It is a process aid whose value lies in helping the casting operation run to its required specification.
Medical pharmaceuticals: a measured industrial category
Medical applications account for 1% of global lithium use in the 2026 estimate. The USGS critical-minerals methodology includes psychotherapeutic pharmaceutical preparation among lithium-consuming industries.
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What the statistic supports
The statistic supports an industrial-use statement: lithium compounds are consumed in manufacturing medical pharmaceuticals. It does not identify a particular medicine, dosage, patient group or treatment outcome, and it does not indicate how much lithium is present in a specific prescription.
Why medical wording needs care
Lithium-containing medicines require professional diagnosis, prescribing and monitoring. A use statistic is not a self-treatment recommendation, and industrial demand data cannot be used to choose a medicine or alter a dose. Readers looking for medical guidance should rely on a qualified clinician and the official information for the medicine they have been prescribed.
How this category fits the overall picture
Medical use is small in tonnage compared with batteries and ceramics, but it is distinct because the lithium is part of a regulated pharmaceutical supply chain. The 1% estimate should not be interpreted as a percentage of patients, prescriptions or healthcare spending.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Other industrial uses, including aluminum-alloy activity
The USGS assigns 3% of global lithium use in 2026 to “other” applications. This is a residual category, not a single technology. The 2025 USGS industry assessment also identifies lithium-related activity involving aluminum alloys and other manufacturing sectors.
Why “other” is deliberately broad
Industrial users can consume lithium in specialized formulations, alloy-related work and manufacturing processes that are individually too small to receive a separate line in the end-use table. Grouping them prevents the headline categories from implying that the six named applications account for every use.
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What cannot be inferred
The 3% figure does not reveal one dominant “other” product, and it should not be divided into invented sub-percentages. Without a specific process and source, it is not possible to say whether a substitute is cheaper, technically equivalent or commercially available.
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How to compare lithium applications
Four questions provide a useful comparison without confusing very different markets.
| Comparison axis | What to ask | Examples from the USGS categories |
|---|---|---|
| Share of global demand | How large is the lithium flow relative to other uses? | Ceramics and glass: 4%; grease: 2%; air treatment, mold flux and medical: 1% each |
| Form of lithium | Is lithium supplied as a mineral concentrate or a chemical ingredient? | Ceramics and glass can use mineral concentrates; grease uses lithium compounds as a thickener |
| Where it is consumed | Is it a consumer-facing product or an industrial process input? | Grease can be purchased for maintenance; mold flux is used inside metal plants |
| Substitution | Can another material replace lithium without changing the process? | Depends on the formulation and process; no universal substitution rule is established here |
This framework prevents a common error: treating a 1% specialty application as unimportant simply because it is small, or assuming that a large category such as batteries describes every battery-related product equally.
Common questions about lithium beyond batteries
Is lithium used in glass and ceramics?
Yes. The USGS identifies ceramics and glass as lithium’s largest non-battery end-use category, at 4% of global use in 2026. Lithium minerals may be used directly as concentrates, or lithium-containing formulations may be incorporated into specialized products.
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Lithium compounds act as thickeners in lubricating grease. Lithium-complex grease is the most recognizable product example, but the correct formulation still depends on the equipment and service specification.
Is lithium used for air purification?
It is used in specialized air-treatment systems associated with carbon-dioxide removal and air purification in confined environments such as spacecraft and submarines. The 1% category does not mean ordinary household air filters generally contain lithium.
Does the 88% battery figure mean 88% is used in electric cars?
No. The USGS figure is for batteries as a broad global end-use category. It does not separate electric-car batteries from batteries used in other products, so an electric-vehicle-only percentage cannot be calculated from this table.
Are these percentages the same everywhere?
No. They are global estimates dated to the 2026 USGS summary. Lithium use varies by location, industrial mix and year; a national market or individual manufacturer can have a different distribution.
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Bottom line for readers
Beyond batteries, lithium’s most significant documented use is in specialized glass and ceramics, followed by lubricating greases. Smaller but technically important applications include confined-environment air treatment, continuous-casting mold fluxes, pharmaceutical preparation and a range of other manufacturing processes. The 2026 USGS estimate puts all of these non-battery uses together at 12% of global lithium end use, while emphasizing that the percentages are rounded, global and category-level measurements rather than a description of every product.
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