Lithium
Lithium is a chemical element, number 3 on the periodic table. It is the lightest alkali metal on the table, with an atomic weight of 6.91. () 

Lithium in a crystal form was utilized in "lithium crystal circuits," important components in the power-generation systems of  starships. In order to be utilized in this fashion, lithium crystals were required to be processed in large "cracking stations," such as the one on planet Delta Vega. () According to Harcourt Fenton Mudd, lithium crystals were worth three hundred times their weight in diamonds and thousands of times their weight in gold. ()

Over-expenditure of power could damage the lithium crystals, as happened to the starship  in 2266, when chasing a Class J cargo ship into an asteroid belt. Forced to extend her shields around the vessel to protect it from asteroid collisions, the Enterprise burned out three of four lithium crystals, forcing the crew to supplement with battery power. The fourth crystal subsequently failed, over stressed from handling all of the ship's power. ()

In the first stage of Borg assimilation, the target was injected with stabilizing metals such as lithium ions so they could tolerate nanoprobes. In 2024, the Borg Queen, controlling the body of Agnes Jurati, extracted lithium ions from a cell phone battery to regain her ability to assimilate. ()

External links

de:Lithium
fr:Lithium
it:Litio
nl:Lithium
Elements