document_title: Atlanta Falcons

question_text: who does atlanta falcons play in the playoffs

question_tokens: who does atlanta falcons play in the playoffs

text: Atlanta Falcons

text: Franchise history

text: Professional football comes to Atlanta

text: Professional football first came to Atlanta in 1962, when the American Football League staged two preseason contests, with one featuring the Denver Broncos vs. the Houston Oilers and the second pitting the Dallas Texans against the Oakland Raiders. Two years later, the AFL held another exhibition, this time with the New York Jets taking on the San Diego Chargers.

text: In 1965, after the Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium (then known simply as Atlanta Stadium) was built, the city of Atlanta felt the time was right to start pursuing professional football. One independent group which had been active in NFL exhibition promotions in Atlanta applied for franchises in both the American Football League and the National Football League, acting entirely on its own with no guarantee of stadium rights. Another group reported it had deposited earnest money for a team in the AFL.[7]

text: With everyone running in different directions, some local businessmen worked out a deal and were awarded an AFL franchise on June 7, 1965, contingent upon acquiring exclusive stadium rights from city officials. NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle, who had been moving slowly in Atlanta matters, was spurred by the AFL interest and headed on the next plane down to Atlanta to block the rival league's claim on the city of Atlanta.[4] He forced the city to make a choice between the two leagues. By June 30, the city picked Rankin Smith and the NFL.

text: The Atlanta Falcons franchise began on June 30, 1965, when NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle granted ownership to 41-year-old Rankin Smith Sr. Smith, an Executive Vice President of Life Insurance Company of Georgia at the time, paid $8.5 million the highest price in NFL history at the time for a franchise.[4] Former commissioner Pete Rozelle and Smith made the deal in about five minutes and the Atlanta Falcons brought the largest and most popular sport to the city of Atlanta. The Atlanta expansion franchise became the 15th NFL franchise, and they were awarded the first pick in the 1966 NFL draft as well as the final pick in each of the first five rounds.[8] The Falcons drafted All-American linebacker Tommy Nobis from the University of Texas with the first pick of the draft, making him the first-ever Falcon. The league also held the 1966 NFL Expansion Draft six weeks later in which the Falcons selected unprotected players from existing franchises. Although the Falcons selected many good players in those drafts, they still were not able to win right away.[4]

text: The Atlanta Falcons Football Club received its nickname on August 29, 1965. Miss Julia Elliott, a school teacher from Griffin, Georgia, was singled out from many people who suggested "Falcons" as the nickname for the new franchise. Elliott wrote: "the Falcon is proud and dignified, with great courage and fight. It never drops its prey. It is deadly and has a great sporting tradition."[9][10]

text: 1966–1977: Early struggles

text: The Falcons had their first season in 1966, and their first preseason game on August 1, 1966, losing to the Philadelphia Eagles. Under head coach Norb Hecker they lost their first nine regular-season games in 1966 and secured their first victory on the road against the New York Giants. The team finished the 1960s with only 12 wins. The Falcons had their first Monday Night Football game in Atlanta during the 1970 season, losing 20–7 to the Miami Dolphins. The only two winning seasons in this twelve-year period were 1971 and 1973.

text: In the 1978 season, the Falcons qualified for the playoffs for the first time and won the Wild Card game against the Eagles 14–13. The following week, they lost to the Dallas Cowboys 27–20 in the Divisional Playoffs.

text: In the 1980 season, after a nine-game winning streak, the Falcons posted a franchise then-best record of 12–4 and captured their first NFC West division title. The next week, their dream season ended at home with a loss to the Cowboys 30–27 in the divisional playoffs. In the strike-shortened 1982 season, the Falcons made the playoffs but lost to the Minnesota Vikings, 30–24. Falcons coach Leeman Bennett was fired after the loss. The team would then have losing seasons for the next eight years.

text: In 1989, the Falcons drafted cornerback Deion Sanders in the first round, who helped them for the next four years, setting many records for the franchise. "Neon Deion" (a.k.a. "Prime Time") had a flashy appeal and helped bring media attention to one of the league's most anonymous franchises. Sanders was also famous for playing on major league baseball teams (the New York Yankees and the Atlanta Braves) while simultaneously playing in the NFL.

text: After defeating the New Orleans Saints in the NFC Wild Card game, the Falcons' 1991 season ended in a divisional playoff loss to the Washington Redskins. In 1991, the Falcons drafted Brett Favre as the thirty-third overall pick. During his rookie season, he played in two games where he amassed a record of 4 passing attempts with 0 receptions and 2 interceptions. The following February, Favre was traded to the Green Bay Packers.

text: In 1992, the Atlanta Falcons opened a new chapter in their history moving into the newly constructed Georgia Dome, where the team has defeated all 31 other NFL teams at least during its time there.

text: 1997–2000: The Dan Reeves era

text: In 1998, under recently acquired head coach Dan Reeves, quarterback Chris Chandler and running back Jamal Anderson the "Dirty Bird" Falcons had their greatest season to date. On November 8, they beat the New England Patriots 41–10, ending a streak of 22 losses at cold-weather sites. The team finished with a franchise-best 14–2 regular season record and the NFC West division championship. On January 17, 1999, the Falcons upset the top-seeded Vikings at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in the NFC Championship Game 30–27, in an exciting overtime victory. However, in their first-ever Super Bowl appearance, they lost 34–19 to the defending champion Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXXIII.

text: In the second game of the Falcons 1999 season, running back Jamal Anderson, who had been a key player in the Falcons' 1998 success, suffered a season-ending knee injury. The Falcons finished the season with a very disappointing 5–11 regular season record.[4] In 2000, the Falcons suffered through another horrendous season finishing 4–12 and once again missing the playoffs.

text: In the 2001 NFL draft, the Falcons orchestrated a trade with the San Diego Chargers, acquiring the first overall pick (which was used on quarterback Michael Vick) in exchange for wide receiver-return specialist Tim Dwight and the fifth overall pick (used on running back LaDainian Tomlinson).

text: The Falcons finished the 2001 season with a record of 7–9 and missed the playoffs. Jessie Tuggle retired following 14 seasons in Atlanta. On December 6, 2001, Arthur M. Blank reached a preliminary agreement with the Falcons' Taylor Smith to purchase the team. In a special meeting prior to Super Bowl XXXVI in New Orleans on February 2, 2002, NFL owners voted unanimously to approve the purchase.[11]

text: The 2002 season saw the Falcons return to the playoffs with a regular season record of 9–6–1, tying the Pittsburgh Steelers. It was Vick's first year as the starter, and the team, with newly acquired running back Warrick Dunn, delivered the Green Bay Packers their first home playoff loss ever. A 20-6 loss to the Donovan McNabb-led Philadelphia Eagles the following week, however, ended the Falcons' season.

text: On March 19, 2003, the Falcons presented their new logo.[12][4] During the 2003 preseason Vick broke his leg and missed the first twelve games of the season. After losing 7 straight games, the decision was made to release head coach Dan Reeves. Wade Phillips acted as interim coach for the final 3 games. Although the Falcons won 3 of their last 4 games after the return of Vick, they ended up with a 5–11 record that year. In 2004, a new head coach, Jim L. Mora, was hired and Vick returned for the full season. The Falcons went 11–5, winning their third division title and earning a first-round bye into the playoffs. In the divisional playoffs, the Falcons defeated the St. Louis Rams, 47–17, in the Georgia Dome, advancing to the NFC Championship Game, which they lost to the Eagles, 27–10.

text: The Falcons again fell short of achieving back-to-back winning seasons in 2005, going 8–8. In 2006, Michael Vick became the first quarterback in league history to rush for more than 1,000 yards in a season, with 1,039. After finishing the season 7–9, however, coach Jim Mora was dismissed and Bobby Petrino, the University of Louisville's football coach, replaced him. Before the 2007 season began, Vick was suspended indefinitely by the NFL after pleading guilty to charges involving dog fighting in the state of Virginia. On December 10, 2007, Vick received a 23-month prison sentence and was officially cut from the Atlanta roster.

text: For the 2007 season, the Falcons were forced to start Joey Harrington at quarterback. On December 11, 13 games into his first NFL season as head coach, Bobby Petrino resigned without notice to coach at the University of Arkansas, leaving the beleaguered players only a note in the locker room. Secondary Coach Emmitt Thomas was named interim coach for the final three games of the season on December 12. The Falcons ended the year with a dismal 4–12 record.

text: 2008–2014: The Mike Smith era

text: After the tumultuous and disappointing 2007 season, the Falcons made a number of moves, hiring a new General Manager and head coach, drafting a new starting quarterback, and signing a starting running back.

text: On January 13, 2008, the Falcons named former Patriots director of college football scouting Thomas Dimitroff General Manager.[13] On January 23, Jacksonville Jaguars defensive coach and former linebackers coach for the 2000 Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens Mike Smith was named the Falcons' new head coach.[14] Chargers back-up RB Michael Turner agreed to a 6-year deal, $30 million deal on March 2.[15] On April 26, Matt Ryan (quarterback from Boston College) was drafted third overall in the 2008 NFL draft by the Falcons.[16]

text: The Falcons finished the 2008 regular season with a record of 11–5, and the #5 seed in the playoffs.[17] On December 21, 2008, Atlanta beat the Minnesota Vikings 24–17 to clinch a wild card spot, earning a trip to the playoffs for the first time since 2004. The Falcons would go on to lose in the wild-card round of the 2008 NFL playoffs to the eventual NFC champion Arizona Cardinals, 30–24.

text: Matt Ryan started all 16 games in his rookie season and was named the Associated Press Offensive Rookie of the Year.[18] First-year head coach Mike Smith was named 2008 NFL Coach of the Year.

text: Although they failed to make the playoffs in 2009 the team rallied to win their final three regular season games to record back-to-back winning seasons for the first time in franchise history. The Falcons defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 20–10 in the final game of the season to improve their record to 9–7.[5]

text: In 2010, with a regular season record of 13–3, the Falcons secured a third straight winning season, their fourth overall divisional title, and the top overall seed in the NFC playoffs; however, the Falcons were overpowered by the eventual Super Bowl XLV champion Green Bay Packers in the NFC Divisional Playoffs 48–21. The Falcons scored 414 points – the fifth-most in franchise history.[5] The team sent an NFL-high and franchise-best nine players to the 2011 Pro Bowl.[19]

text: The Falcons made a surprise trade up with the Cleveland Browns in the 2011 NFL draft to select Alabama wide receiver Julio Jones sixth overall. In exchange, the Falcons gave up their first-, second- and fourth-round draft picks in 2011, and their first and fourth draft picks in 2012. Jones, along with teammates Tony Gonzalez and Roddy White, have since been dubbed Atlanta's "Big Three" (based on their total number of reception yards).[20] On August 30, 2011, Sports Illustrated senior writer Peter King, who correctly predicted the 2011 Super Bowl, made his predictions for the 2011 season and picked the Falcons to defeat the San Diego Chargers in the 2012 Super Bowl.[21] The Falcons finished the season at 10–6, securing the fifth seed after a Week 17 beatdown of Tampa Bay in which the Falcons pulled their starters after leading 42–0 just 23 minutes into the game.

text: The Falcons then went on to play the New York Giants in a 2011 NFC Wild Card Game at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The first half was a defensive struggle, with the first points coming off of a safety by the Falcons, giving Atlanta a 2–0 lead. In the 2nd quarter, though, Eli Manning connected with Hakeem Nicks for a short touchdown pass to make it 7–2 Giants heading into the 2nd half. Then the Giants took control, as Manning threw for two more TD passes to Mario Manningham and Nicks and the defense completed its shutout of the Falcons to give the New York Giants the win, 24–2, and the Falcons their third straight playoff loss with Matt Ryan and Mike Smith.[22] After the season Defense Coordinator Brian VanGorder accepted a coaching job at Auburn University, and the offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey took the head coaching job in Jacksonville.

text: Atlanta exploded out of the gate, going a franchise best 8–0 and remaining the last unbeaten team in the NFL that year. Their hopes to get an undefeated season came to an end with a 27–31 loss to the division rival Saints. Julio Jones had a remarkable second year, grabbing 10 touchdowns and 1,198 yards. The Falcons finished the season 13–3, and clinched the number one seed in the NFC playoffs.

text: The Falcons played the Seattle Seahawks in their first playoff game. Although they went down 28–27 with only 31 seconds left on the clock, Matt Ryan led the team to their first playoff victory, 30–28. It was the only playoff victory in the Mike Smith era.

text: The Atlanta Falcons then advanced to face the San Francisco 49ers. The Falcons seized control of the game early with a Matt Bryant field goal, a trio of Matt Ryan touchdown passes caught by Julio Jones and Tony Gonzalez coupled with outstanding defensive play. By the end of the half, the score was 24–14. The tides of the game began to shift in the second half as the 49ers rallied back with a pair of Frank Gore touchdown runs. Atlanta's offense attempted to reply but were ultimately shut down by the 49er defense. A few series later, late in the 4th quarter with little time remaining, Atlanta found themselves in a 4th and 4 situation at the 10-yard line. The Falcons needed just 10 more yards to secure victory and advance to their first Super Bowl berth in 14 years. Matt Ryan fired a pass to Roddy White which was ultimately broken up by inside linebacker NaVorro Bowman, resulting in a 28–24 defeat.

text: Following the success of the previous season, the Falcons were an expected Super Bowl contender. However, injuries hampered the team's performance and the team finished the season 4–12. With that, the streak of consecutive winning seasons came to an end and Mike Smith had his first losing season as a head coach. Tony Gonzalez, in his final season in the NFL, was selected to the 2014 Pro Bowl as a starter representing Team Rice. Following the conclusion of the 2012 season, director of player personnel Les Snead departed the team to join the St. Louis Rams and Dave Caldwell, assistant to general manager Thomas Dimitroff, left the team to join the Jacksonville Jaguars. Scott Pioli, former GM of the New England Patriots, was announced as the Falcons' new assistant GM. Mike Smith was given a one-year extension on his contract as head coach. The Falcons had the 6th overall pick in the 2014 NFL draft with which they selected Jake Matthews, who played as offensive tackle for Texas A&M.

text: Despite having another rough season, the Falcons still had an opportunity to qualify for the playoffs at the end of the regular season. The Falcons hosted the Carolina Panthers in their regular season finale, with the winners clinching the NFC South division. Unfortunately, the Falcons lost in a 34–3 blowout as Matt Ryan threw two interceptions that were returned for touchdowns and got sacked six times. The Falcons finished the season 6–10, marking the second consecutive losing season for the team.[23] The following day, Mike Smith was fired after seven seasons as head coach.[24] The Falcons would soon hire Seattle Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn as the team's 16th head coach.[25] The Falcons had the 8th overall pick in the 2015 NFL draft with which they selected Vic Beasley, a defensive end from Clemson University.[26]

text: 2015–present: The Dan Quinn era

text: In February 2015, the team was investigated by the NFL for alleged use of artificial crowd noise in the Georgia Dome.[27] The Falcons lost a 2016 NFL Draft selection as a result of the league's investigation.[28]

text: Dan Quinn's first season saw a 5–0 start, the team's best start in four years. They would then struggle throughout the rest of the season by losing 8 of their last 11 games, resulting in an 8–8 record. They did, however, give the Panthers their only regular season loss. The Falcons used their first-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft on safety Keanu Neal from the University of Florida.

text: In the Falcons' 25th and final season in the Georgia Dome, Atlanta lost their Week 1 game to the Buccaneers 24–31. The Falcons would then win their next four including one over the Panthers, when the franchise set new records. Matt Ryan threw for 503 yards, and Julio Jones caught twelve passes for 300 yards. With a 41–13 thrashing of the San Francisco 49ers in Week 15, the Falcons improved to 9–5 and secured their first winning season since 2012. One week later, the Falcons defeated the Panthers in Charlotte, North Carolina and clinched their first NFC South division title since 2012. In their last regular season game at the Georgia Dome, the Falcons defeated the New Orleans Saints, and secured an 11–5 record and a first round bye.

text: In the divisional round of the playoffs, Atlanta defeated the Seahawks 36–20 in the Georgia Dome, and hosted their last game at the Dome against the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship Game on January 22, 2017. The Falcons defeated the Packers 44–21 to advance to Super Bowl LI as the NFC champions. Atlanta was up 28–3 late in the third quarter, and the New England Patriots scored 31 unanswered points, with the last 6 in the first-ever overtime in the Super Bowl. The Patriots' 25-point comeback was the largest in Super Bowl history.[29]

text: In 2016, the Falcons scored 540 points in the regular season, the seventh-most in NFL history, tied with the Greatest Show on Turf (the 2000 St. Louis Rams).[30] However, the Falcons defense gave up 406 points, 27th in the league.[31]

text: The Falcons moved into their new home, the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, this season. Their first game ever played at the new stadium was a preseason loss to the Arizona Cardinals. The first regular season game at the new stadium was a rematch of the 2016–17 NFC Championship, with Atlanta defeating Green Bay 34–23. Their first loss of the season was a 23–17 home defeat to the Buffalo Bills in week 4.[32] The team returned to the playoffs with a 10-6 record (albeit with a third-place finish in the NFC South). The Falcons defeated the Los Angeles Rams 26-13 in the Wild Card round, but their 2017 season came to an end a week later in the Divisional Playoff round at the hands of the eventual Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles 15-10.

text: Stadiums

text: The Falcons have called three stadiums home in their 51 years of existence, and its third home in their history opened in the late summer of 2017. The first was the Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium, sharing with the Atlanta Braves Major League Baseball team until 1991. In 1992, the Georgia Dome was built, and the Falcons played there from its opening to the 2016 season. The Dome has been frequently used for college football, including Georgia State football and college bowl games such as the Peach Bowl.

text: In an effort to replace the aging Georgia Dome and potentially host a future Super Bowl, team owner Arthur Blank proposed a deal with the city of Atlanta to build a new state-of-the-art stadium not far from where the Georgia Dome is located. Blank will contribute $800 million and the city of Atlanta will contribute an additional $200 million via bonds backed by the city's hotel/motel tax towards the construction of a retractable roof stadium. Blank will contribute additional money for cost overruns if it is needed. The team will provide up to $50 million towards infrastructure costs that weren't included in the construction budget and to retire the remaining debt on the Georgia Dome. In addition, Blank's foundation and the city will each provide $15 million for development in surrounding neighborhoods. Though the total cost of the stadium was initially estimated to be around $1 billion,[33] the total cost was revised to $1.5 billion according to Blank.[34] In March 2013, the Atlanta City Council voted 11–4 in favor of building the stadium.[35] The retractable roof Mercedes-Benz Stadium broke ground in May 2014, and became the third home stadium for the Falcons and the first for the new Atlanta United FC Major League Soccer club upon opening in 2017.

text: Logo and uniforms

text: The Atlanta Falcons' colors are red, black, silver and white.[36] When the team began play in 1966, the Falcons wore red helmets with a black falcon crest logo. In the center of the helmet was a center black stripe surrounded by two gold stripes and two white stripes. These colors represented the two college rival schools in the state of Georgia; rival schools Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (white and gold) and the Georgia Bulldogs (red and black). Although the gold was removed after several seasons, the white remains to this day. They wore white pants and either black or white jerseys. At first, the falcon crest logo was also put on the jersey sleeves, but it was replaced by a red and white stripe pattern four years later. They switched from black to red jerseys in 1971, and the club began to wear silver pants in 1978.

text: A prototype white helmet was developed for the team prior to the 1974 season, but was never worn.

text: In 1990, the uniform design changed to black helmets, silver pants, and either black or white jerseys. The numbers on the white jerseys were black, but were changed to red in 1997. (The red numerals could be seen on the away jerseys briefly in 1990.)

text: Both the logo and uniforms changed in 2003. The logo was redesigned with red and silver accents to depict a more powerful, aggressive falcon, which now more closely resembles the capital letter F.[12]

text: Although the Falcons still wore black helmets, the new uniforms featured jerseys and pants with red trim down the sides. The uniform design consisted of either black or white jerseys, and either black or white pants. During that same year, a red alternate jersey with black trim was also introduced. The Falcons also started wearing black cleats with these uniforms.[37]

text: In 2004, the red jerseys became the primary jerseys, and the black ones became the alternate, both worn with white pants. In select road games, the Falcons wear black pants with white jerseys. The Falcons wore an all-black combination for home games against their archrivals, the New Orleans Saints, winning the first two contests (24–21 in 2004 and 36–17 in 2005), but losing 31–13 in 2006. The Falcons wore the all black combination against the New Orleans Saints for four straight seasons starting in 2004, With the last time being in 2007, losing 34–14. They wore the combination again in 2006, against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 2. The Falcons won that game, 14–3. The Falcons also wore their all-black uniform in 2007 against the New York Giants, and in 2008 against the Carolina Panthers and against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (for the second time).

text: In the 1980s, the Falcons wore their white uniforms at home most of the time because of the heat. When the Falcons started playing in a dome, the team switched to their dark uniforms for home games but have worn their white uniforms at home a few times since switching to the dome. It was announced at the 2009 state of the franchise meeting that the Falcons would wear 1966 throwback uniforms for a couple games during the 2009 season. The Atlanta Falcons wore 1966 throwback jerseys for two home games in 2009 – against the Carolina Panthers on September 20 and against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on November 29. The Falcons won both of those games. They donned the throwbacks again for 2 games in 2010, against Baltimore and San Francisco, winning both of those games as well.

text: Rivalries

text: New Orleans Saints

text: This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (June 2017)

text: In every season except for their debut season, the Falcons have shared a division with the New Orleans Saints (first the NFC West, and now the NFC South). Over this time, a heated rivalry has developed between the two cities' franchises. Atlanta leads the series 51–45.

text: Carolina Panthers

text: In addition, the Falcons share a similar, yet smaller, rivalry with the Carolina Panthers, with both teams having been in the NFC West from the Panthers' founding in 1995 to the NFL realignment in 2002, where they have been in the NFC South since then. The Falcons lead the series 27–17.

text: Statistics

text: Season-by-season records

text: Record vs. opponents

text: Includes postseason records[38]

text: Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties

text:
Team
W
L
T
Percent
Last result
Last date
Last locale
Postseason

St. Louis/Phoenix/Arizona Cardinals
14
15
0
.483
W 38–19
November 27, 2016
Georgia Dome
0–1 postseason

Baltimore Ravens
2
3
0
.400
L 7–29
October 19, 2014
Baltimore, Maryland

Buffalo Bills
7
5
0
.583
L 17–23
October 1, 2017
Mercedes-Benz Stadium

Carolina Panthers
28
18
0
.609
W 22-10
December 31, 2017
Mercedes-Benz Stadium

Chicago Bears
13
14
0
.481
W 23–17
September 10, 2017
Chicago, Illinois

Cincinnati Bengals
5
8
0
.385
L 10–24
September 14, 2014
Cincinnati, Ohio

Cleveland Browns
3
11
0
.214
L 24–26
November 23, 2014
Georgia Dome

Dallas Cowboys
11
14
0
.440
W 27-7
November 12, 2017
Mercedes-Benz Stadium
0–2 postseason

Denver Broncos
6
8
0
.429
W 23–16
October 9, 2016
Denver, Colorado
0–1 postseason

Detroit Lions
13
24
0
.351
W 30-26
September 24, 2017
Detroit, Michigan

Green Bay Packers
14
15
0
.483
W 34–23
September 17, 2017
Mercedes-Benz Stadium
2–2 postseason

Houston Texans
2
2
0
.500
W 48–21
October 4, 2015
Georgia Dome

Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts
2
14
0
.125
L 21–24
November 22, 2015
Georgia Dome

Jacksonville Jaguars
3
3
0
.500
W 23–17
December 20, 2015
Jacksonville, Florida

Kansas City Chiefs
3
6
0
.333
L 28–29
December 4, 2016
Georgia Dome

San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers
8
2
0
.800
L 30–33 (OT)
October 23, 2016
Georgia Dome

St. Louis/Los Angeles Rams
29
47
2
.385
W 26–13
January 6, 2018
Los Angeles, California
2–0 postseason

Miami Dolphins
4
9
0
.308
L 17–20
October 15, 2017
Mercedes-Benz Stadium

Minnesota Vikings
10
18
0
.357
L 9–14
December 3, 2017
Mercedes-Benz Stadium
1–1 postseason

New England Patriots
6
9
0
.400
L 7–23
October 22, 2017
Foxborough, Massachusetts
0–1 postseason

New Orleans Saints
51
46
0
.526
L 13–23
December 24, 2017
Mercedes-Benz Superdome
1–0 postseason

New York Giants
12
11
0
.522
W 24–20
September 20, 2015
East Rutherford, New Jersey
0–1 postseason

New York Jets
7
5
0
.583
W 25–20
October 29, 2017
East Rutherford, New Jersey

Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders
7
7
0
.500
W 35–28
September 18, 2016
Oakland, California

Philadelphia Eagles
13
16
1
.450
L 10–15
January 13, 2018
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
1–2 postseason

Pittsburgh Steelers
2
13
1
.156
L 20–27
December 14, 2014
Georgia Dome

San Francisco 49ers
30
46
1
.396
W 41–13
December 18, 2016
Georgia Dome
1–1 postseason

Seattle Seahawks
7
10
0
.412
W 34–31
November 20, 2017
CenturyLink Field
2–0 postseason

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
25
24
0
.510
W 24-21
December 18, 2017
Raymond James Stadium

Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans
7
7
0
.500
W 10–7
October 25, 2015
Nashville, Tennessee

Washington Redskins
9
14
1
.396
W 25–19 (OT)
October 11, 2015
Georgia Dome
0–1 postseason

Total
353
449
6
.441

10–12 (.455)

text: *Notes International Series

text: Single game records

text:
Rushing: Michael Turner, 220 (September 7, 2008)
Passing: Matt Ryan, 503 (October 2, 2016)
Passing touchdowns: Wade Wilson, 5 (December 13, 1992)
Receptions: William Andrews, 15 (September 15, 1981)
Receiving yards: Julio Jones, 300 (October 2, 2016)
Interceptions: Several Falcons, 2, most recently Robert Alford, 2 (October 2, 2016)
Field goals: Norm Johnson, 6 (November 13, 1994)
Total touchdowns: T. J. Duckett, 4 (December 12, 2004) and Michael Turner 4 (November 23, 2008)
Points scored: T. J. Duckett, 24 (December 12, 2004) and Michael Turner, 24 (November 23, 2008)
Sacks: Adrian Clayborn, 6 (November 13, 2017)

text: Single season records

text:
Passing attempts: 651 Matt Ryan (2013)
Passing completions: 439 Matt Ryan (2013)
Passing yards: 4,944 Matt Ryan (2016)
Passing touchdowns: 38 Matt Ryan (2016)
Passing interceptions: 25 Bobby Hebert (1996)
Completion percentage: 69.9 Matt Ryan (2016)
Passing rating: 117.1 Matt Ryan (2016)
Rushing attempts: 410 Jamal Anderson (1998)
Rushing yards: 1,846 Jamal Anderson (1998)
Rushing touchdowns: 17 Michael Turner (2008)
Receiving catches: 136 Julio Jones (2015)
Receiving yards: 1,871 Julio Jones (2015)
Receiving touchdowns: 15 Andre Rison (1993)
Quarterback sacks: 16.5 John Abraham (2008)
Pass interceptions: 10 Scott Case (1988)
Field goal attempts: 40 Jay Feely (2002)
Field goals made: 34 Matt Bryant (2016)
Points: 158 Matt Bryant (2016)
Total touchdowns: 17 Michael Turner (2008)

text: Career records

text:
Passing attempts: 5,064 Matt Ryan (2008–present)
Passing completions: 3,288 Matt Ryan (2008–present)
Passing yards: 37,701 Matt Ryan (2008–present)
Passing touchdowns: 240 Matt Ryan (2008–present)
Passing interceptions: 141 Steve Bartkowski (1975–85)
Passing rating: 93.6 Matt Ryan (2008–present)
Rushing attempts: 1,587 Gerald Riggs (1982–88)
Rushing yards: 6,631 Gerald Riggs (1982–88)
Rushing yards by a QB: 3,859 Michael Vick (2001–2006)[40]
Rushing touchdowns: 60 Michael Turner (2008–2012)
Receiving catches: 808 Roddy White (2005–2015)
Receiving yards: 10,863 Roddy White (2005–2015)
Receiving touchdowns: 63 Roddy White (2005–2015)
Quarterback sacks: 68.5 John Abraham (2006–2012)
Pass interceptions: 39 Rolland Lawrence (1973–80)
Field goal attempts: 224 Morten Andersen (1995–2000, 2006–2007)
Field goals made: 196 Matt Bryant (2009–present)
Points: 892 Matt Bryant (2009–present)
Total touchdowns: 63 Roddy White (2005–2015)
Pass interception return yards: 658 Rolland Lawrence (1973–80)
Pass interception returned for touchdowns: 3 Deion Sanders (1989–1993) and Kevin Mathis (2002–2006)
Punt return yards: 1,723 Allen Rossum (2002–2006)
Kickoff return yards: 5,489 Allen Rossum (2002–2006)
Longest punt: 75 John James (1972–1981) and Harold Alexander (1993–1994)
Longest field goal: 59 Morten Andersen (1995–2000, 2006–2007) and Matt Bryant (2009–present)

text: Players

text: Current roster

text:
Atlanta Falcons roster

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Quarterbacks

 9 Garrett Grayson
 2 Matt Ryan
 8 Matt Schaub

Running backs

26 Tevin Coleman
24 Devonta Freeman
25 Terrence Magee

Wide receivers

16 Reggie Davis
13 Devin Fuller
17 Marvin Hall
14 Justin Hardy
11 Julio Jones
12 Mohamed Sanu

Tight ends

89 Alex Gray
81 Austin Hooper
82 Logan Paulsen
85 Eric Saubert

Offensive linemen

76 Daniel Brunskill T
75 Jamil Douglas G
65 Brandon Fusco C
63 Ben Garland G
64 Sean Harlow G
67 Andy Levitre G
51 Alex Mack C
70 Jake Matthews T
68 Austin Pasztor T
74 Ty Sambrailo T
73 Ryan Schraeder T
71 Wes Schweitzer G

Defensive linemen

95 Jack Crawford DT
96 Martin Ifedi DE
77 Joey Ivie DT
97 Grady Jarrett DT
55 J'Terius Jones DE
98 Takkarist McKinley DE
50 Brooks Reed DE
90 Derrick Shelby DE
93 Tani Tupou DT

Linebackers

44 Vic Beasley OLB
59 De'Vondre Campbell OLB
45 Deion Jones MLB
42 Duke Riley OLB

Defensive backs

23 Robert Alford CB
37 Ricardo Allen FS
28 Justin Bethel CB
38 Marcelis Branch FS
39 Deante Burton CB
36 Kemal Ishmael SS
27 Damontae Kazee FS
41 Quincy Mauger SS
35 Leon McFadden CB
22 Keanu Neal SS
34 Brian Poole CB
21 Desmond Trufant CB
33 Blidi Wreh-Wilson CB

Special teams

 3 Matt Bryant K
 5 Matt Bosher P
47 Josh Harris LS

Reserve lists

Currently vacant

Rookies in italics
Roster updated April 4, 2018
Depth chart • Transactions
57 Active, 0 Inactive
→ AFC rosters → NFC rosters

AFC East
BUF
MIA
NE
NYJ
North
BAL
CIN
CLE
PIT
South
HOU
IND
JAX
TEN
West
DEN
KC
LAC
OAK

NFC East
DAL
NYG
PHI
WAS
North
CHI
DET
GB
MIN
South
ATL
CAR
NO
TB
West
ARI
LAR
SF
SEA

text: Pro Football Hall of Famers

text:
Atlanta Falcons Hall of Famers

Players

No.
Name
Position
Tenure
Year inducted

25
Tommy McDonald
WR
1967
1998

29
Eric Dickerson
RB
1993
1999

21
Deion Sanders
CB
1989–1993
2011

56
Chris Doleman
DE
1994–1995
2012

87
Claude Humphrey
DE
1968–1978
2014

4
Brett Favre
QB
1991
2016

5
Morten Andersen
K
1995–2000
2006–2007
2017

Coaches

Name
Position
Tenure
Year inducted

Norm Van Brocklin
Head Coach
1968–1974
1971

text: Sanders and Humphrey are the only two players in the Hall of Fame that have been inducted based substantially on their service with the Falcons. Andersen spent eight of his 25 NFL seasons with the Falcons, and remains the team's all-time scoring leader, but he also played his first 13 NFL seasons with the New Orleans Saints, also leading that team's career scoring list.

text: Retired numbers

text:
Atlanta Falcons retired numbers

No.
Player
Position
Tenure

10
Steve Bartkowski
QB
1975–1985

31
William Andrews
RB
1979–1983, 1986

57
Jeff Van Note
C
1969–1986

60
Tommy Nobis
LB
1966–1976

text: Ring of Honor

text: The Atlanta Falcons organization does not officially retire jersey numbers, but considers certain players' jerseys worthy of being honored. The Falcons Ring of Honor, which is featured in the rafters of the Georgia Dome, honors individual players.[41]

text:
Atlanta Falcons Ring of Honor

No.
Player
Position
Tenure
Inducted

10
Steve Bartkowski
QB
1975–1985
2004

21
Deion Sanders
CB
1989–1993
2010

28
Warrick Dunn
RB
2002–2007
2017

31
William Andrews
RB
1979–1983, 1986
2004

42
Gerald Riggs
RB
1982–1988
2013

57
Jeff Van Note
C
1969–1986
2006

58
Jessie Tuggle
LB
1987–2000
2004

60
Tommy Nobis
LB
1966–1976
2004

78
Mike Kenn
T
1978–1994
2008

87
Claude Humphrey
DE
1968–1978
2008

text: Georgia Sports Hall of Fame

text: Starting quarterbacks

text: Draft history

text: Coaching staff

text: Head coaches

text: In their history, the Atlanta Falcons have had 15 head coaches.[42]

text:
Coach
Years
Record
Notes

Norb Hecker
1966–1968
4–26–1 (.129)
Fired after three games in 1968.

Norm Van Brocklin
1968–1974
39–48–3 (.433)
Fired after eight games in 1974.

Marion Campbell
1974–1976
6–19 (.240)
Fired after five games in 1976.

Pat Peppler
1976
3–6 (.333)
Interim head coach.

Leeman Bennett
1977–1982
46–41 (.529)

Dan Henning
1983–1986
22–41–1 (.344)

Marion Campbell
1987–1989
11–36 (.234)
Retired after 12 games in 1989.

Jim Hanifan
1989
0–4 (.000)
Interim head coach.

Jerry Glanville
1990–1993
27–37 (.422)

June Jones
1994–1996
19–29 (.396)

Dan Reeves
1997–2003
49–59–1 (.450)

Wade Phillips
2003
2–1 (.667)
Interim head coach.

Jim Mora
2004–2006
26–22 (.542)

Bobby Petrino
2007
3–10 (.231)
Resigned after 13 games to take over Arkansas Razorbacks.

Emmitt Thomas
2007
1–2 (.333)
Interim head coach.

Mike Smith
2008–2014
66–46 (.589)

Dan Quinn
2015–present
19–13 (.594)

text: Current staff

text:
Atlanta Falcons staff

v
t
e

Front Office

Owner/Chairman – Arthur Blank
President/CEO – Rich McKay
General Manager – Thomas Dimitroff
Assistant General Manager – Scott Pioli
Director of Pro Personnel – Joel Collier
Director, Football Operations – Nick Polk
Director of College Scouting – Steve Sabo
National Scout – Ruston Webster
National Scout – Phil Emery

Head Coaches

Head Coach – Dan Quinn
Assistant Head Coach/Pass Game Coordinator/Wide Receivers – Raheem Morris
Assistant to the Head Coach – Steve Scarnecchia

Offensive Coaches

Offensive Coordinator – Steve Sarkisian
Quarterbacks – Greg Knapp
Running Backs – Bernie Parmalee
Tight Ends – Wade Harman
Offensive Line – Chris Morgan
Assistant Offensive Line – Kyle Flood
Offensive Assistant – Dave Brock
Offensive Assistant – Justin Outten
Offensive Assistant - Chad Walker

Defensive Coaches

Defensive Coordinator – Marquand Manuel
Pass Game Coordinator – Jerome Henderson
Defensive Line – Bryant Young
Linebackers – Jeff Ulbrich
Secondary – Doug Mallory
Defensive Assistant – Charlie Jackson
Defensive Assistant – Jess Simpson

Special Teams Coaches

Special Teams Coordinator – Keith Armstrong
Special Teams Assistant - Mayur Chaudhari

Strength and Conditioning

Head Strength and Conditioning – Jesse Ackerman
Assistant Strength and Conditioning – Jonas Beauchemin
Assistnat Strength - Brandon Ireland

→ Coaching staff
→ Management
→ More NFL staffs

AFC East
BUF
MIA
NE
NYJ
North
BAL
CIN
CLE
PIT
South
HOU
IND
JAX
TEN
West
DEN
KC
LAC
OAK

NFC East
DAL
NYG
PHI
WAS
North
CHI
DET
GB
MIN
South
ATL
CAR
NO
TB
West
ARI
LAR
SF
SEA

text: Radio and television

text: Falcons' flagship radio station is WZGC 92.9 The Game.[43] Wes Durham, son of longtime North Carolina Tar Heels voice Woody Durham, is the Falcons' play-by-play announcer, with former Atlanta Falcons QB and pro football veteran, Dave Archer serving as color commentator.

text: In 2014, The CW owned-and-operated station WUPA became the official television station of the Falcons, gaining rights to its preseason games, which are produced by CBS Sports.[44]

text: In the regular season, the team's games are seen on Fox's O&O affiliate WAGA. When the Falcons challenge an AFC team, CBS affiliate WGCL will air those games while Sunday night games are televised on WXIA, the local NBC affiliate.

text: Radio affiliates

text: Georgia

text:
City
Call sign
Frequency

Albany
WSRA-AM
1250 AM

Athens
WRFC-AM
960 AM

Atlanta
WZGC-FM
92.9 FM

Brunswick
WSFN-AM
790 AM

Clarkesville
WDUN-FM
102.9 FM

Columbus
WDAK-AM
540 AM

WBOJ
1270 AM

Dalton
WBLJ-AM
1230 AM

Douglas
WDMG-AM
860 AM

Gainesville
WDUN
550 AM

Griffin
WKEU-AM
1450 AM

WKEU-FM
88.9 FM

Hogansville
WVCC-AM
720 AM

Jesup
WLOP-AM
1370 AM

WIFO-FM
105.5 FM

LaGrange
WMGP-FM
98.1 FM

Louisville
WPEH-AM
1420 AM

WPEH-FM
92.1 FM

Macon
WMAC-AM
940 AM

Milledgeville
WMVG-AM
1450 AM

Newnan
WCOH-AM
1400 AM

Rome
WATG-FM
95.7 FM

Sandersville
WJFL-FM
101.9 FM

Savannah
WSEG-AM
1400 AM

WSEG-FM
104.3 FM

Statesboro
WPTB-AM
850 AM

Swainsboro
WJAT-AM
800 AM

Thomaston
WTGA-FM
101.1 FM

Toccoa
WNEG-AM
630 AM

Valdosta
WVGA
105.9 FM

Vidalia
WVOP-AM
970 AM

Waycross
WFNS-AM
1350 AM

text: Alabama

text:
City
Call sign
Frequency

Foley
WHEP-AM
1310 AM

text: Mississippi

text:
City
Call sign
Frequency

Jackson
WYAB-FM
103.9 FM

text: South Carolina

text:
City
Call sign
Frequency

Clemson
WCCP-FM
104.9 FM

text: Tennessee

text:
City
Call sign
Frequency

Chattanooga
WALV-FM
105.1 FM[46]


document_title: Lithium

question_text: is lithium a solid liquid or gas at room temp

question_tokens: is lithium a solid liquid or gas at room temp

root

text: Lithium

text: Properties[edit]

text: Atomic and physical[edit]

text: Like the other alkali metals, lithium has a single valence electron that is easily given up to form a cation.[5] Because of this, lithium is a good conductor of heat and electricity as well as a highly reactive element, though it is the least reactive of the alkali metals. Lithium's low reactivity is due to the proximity of its valence electron to its nucleus (the remaining two electrons are in the 1s orbital, much lower in energy, and do not participate in chemical bonds).[5]

tag: p

text: Lithium metal is soft enough to be cut with a knife. When cut, it possesses a silvery-white color that quickly changes to gray as it oxidizes to lithium oxide.[5] While it has one of the lowest melting points among all metals (180 °C), it has the highest melting and boiling points of the alkali metals.[6]

text: Lithium has a very low density (0.534 g/cm3), comparable with pine wood. It is the least dense of all elements that are solids at room temperature; the next lightest solid element (potassium, at 0.862 g/cm3) is more than 60% denser. Furthermore, apart from helium and hydrogen, it is less dense than any liquid element, being only two thirds as dense as liquid nitrogen (0.808 g/cm3).[7] Lithium can float on the lightest hydrocarbon oils and is one of only three metals that can float on water, the other two being sodium and potassium.

text: Lithium's coefficient of thermal expansion is twice that of aluminium and almost four times that of iron.[8] Lithium is superconductive below 400 μK at standard pressure[9] and at higher temperatures (more than 9 K) at very high pressures (>20 GPa).[10] At temperatures below 70 K, lithium, like sodium, undergoes diffusionless phase change transformations. At 4.2 K it has a rhombohedral crystal system (with a nine-layer repeat spacing); at higher temperatures it transforms to face-centered cubic and then body-centered cubic. At liquid-helium temperatures (4 K) the rhombohedral structure is prevalent.[11] Multiple allotropic forms have been identified for lithium at high pressures.[12]

text: Lithium has a mass specific heat capacity of 3.58 kilojoules per kilogram-kelvin, the highest of all solids.[13][14] Because of this, lithium metal is often used in coolants for heat transfer applications.[13]

text: Chemistry and compounds[edit]

text: 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.[5] 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 more dense substances, such as mineral oil, lithium is not dense enough to be fully submerged in these liquids.[15] 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).[16]

text: When placed over a flame, lithium compounds give off a striking crimson color, but when it burns strongly the flame becomes a brilliant silver. Lithium will ignite and burn in oxygen when exposed to water or water vapors.[17] 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.[18][19]

text:
Lithium has a diagonal relationship with magnesium, an element of similar atomic and ionic radius. Chemical resemblances between the two metals include the formation of a nitride by reaction with N2, the formation of an oxide (Li
2O) and peroxide (Li
2O
2) when burnt in O2, salts with similar solubilities, and thermal instability of the carbonates and nitrides.[16][20] The metal reacts with hydrogen gas at high temperatures to produce lithium hydride (LiH).[21]

text:
Other known binary compounds include halides (LiF, LiCl, LiBr, LiI), sulfide (Li
2S), superoxide (LiO
2), and carbide (Li
2C
2). Many other inorganic compounds are known in which lithium combines with anions to form salts: borates, amides, carbonate, nitrate, or borohydride (LiBH
4). Lithium aluminium hydride (LiAlH
4) is commonly used as a reducing agent in organic synthesis.

text: Multiple organolithium reagents are known in which there is a direct bond between carbon and lithium atoms, effectively creating a carbanion. These are extremely powerful bases and nucleophiles. In many of these organolithium compounds, the lithium ions tend to aggregate into high-symmetry clusters by themselves, which is relatively common for alkali cations.[22] LiHe, a very weakly interacting van der Waals compound, has been detected at very low temperatures.[23]

text: Isotopes[edit]

text: Naturally occurring lithium is composed of two stable isotopes, 6Li and 7Li, the latter being the more abundant (92.5% natural abundance).[5][15][24] Both natural isotopes have anomalously low nuclear binding energy per nucleon (compared to the neighboring elements on the periodic table, helium and beryllium); lithium is the only low numbered element that can produce net energy through nuclear fission. The two lithium nuclei have lower binding energies per nucleon than any other stable nuclides other than deuterium and helium-3.[25] As a result of this, though very light in atomic weight, lithium is less common in the Solar System than 25 of the first 32 chemical elements.[3] Seven radioisotopes have been characterized, the most stable being 8Li with a half-life of 838 ms and 9Li with a half-life of 178 ms. All of the remaining radioactive isotopes have half-lives that are shorter than 8.6 ms. The shortest-lived isotope of lithium is 4Li, which decays through proton emission and has a half-life of 7.6 × 10−23 s.[26]

text: 7Li is one of the primordial elements (or, more properly, primordial nuclides) produced in Big Bang nucleosynthesis. A small amount of both 6Li and 7Li are produced in stars, but are thought to be "burned" as fast as produced.[27] Additional small amounts of lithium of both 6Li and 7Li may be generated from solar wind, cosmic rays hitting heavier atoms, and from early solar system 7Be and 10Be radioactive decay.[28] While lithium is created in stars during stellar nucleosynthesis, it is further burned. 7Li can also be generated in carbon stars.[29]

text: Lithium isotopes fractionate substantially during a wide variety of natural processes,[30] including mineral formation (chemical precipitation), metabolism, and ion exchange. Lithium ions substitute for magnesium and iron in octahedral sites in clay minerals, where 6Li is preferred to 7Li, resulting in enrichment of the light isotope in processes of hyperfiltration and rock alteration. The exotic 11Li is known to exhibit a nuclear halo. The process known as laser isotope separation can be used to separate lithium isotopes, in particular 7Li from 6Li.[31]

text: Nuclear weapons manufacture and other nuclear physics applications are a major source of artificial lithium fractionation, with the light isotope 6Li being retained by industry and military stockpiles to such an extent that it has caused slight but measurable change in the 6Li to 7Li ratios in natural sources, such as rivers. This has led to unusual uncertainty in the standardized atomic weight of lithium, since this quantity depends on the natural abundance ratios of these naturally-occurring stable lithium isotopes, as they are available in commercial lithium mineral sources.[32]

text: Both stable isotopes of lithium can be laser cooled and were used to produce the first quantum degenerate Bose-Fermi mixture.[33]

text: Occurrence[edit]

text: Astronomical[edit]

text: Though it was synthesized in the Big Bang, lithium (together with beryllium and boron), is markedly less abundant in the universe than other elements. This is a result of the comparatively low stellar temperatures necessary to destroy lithium, along with a lack of common processes to produce it.[34]

text: According to modern cosmological theory, lithium—in both stable isotopes (lithium-6 and lithium-7)—was one of the 3 elements synthesized in the Big Bang.[35] Though the amount of lithium generated in Big Bang nucleosynthesis is dependent upon the number of photons per baryon, for accepted values the lithium abundance can be calculated, and there is a "cosmological lithium discrepancy" in the Universe: older stars seem to have less lithium than they should, and some younger stars have much more.[36] The lack of lithium in older stars is apparently caused by the "mixing" of lithium into the interior of stars, where it is destroyed,[37] while lithium is produced in younger stars. Though it transmutes into two atoms of helium due to collision with a proton at temperatures above 2.4 million degrees Celsius (most stars easily attain this temperature in their interiors), lithium is more abundant than current computations would predict in later-generation stars.[15]

text: Lithium is also found in brown dwarf substellar objects and certain anomalous orange stars. Because lithium is present in cooler, less-massive brown dwarfs, but is destroyed in hotter red dwarf stars, its presence in the stars' spectra can be used in the "lithium test" to differentiate the two, as both are smaller than the Sun.[15][39][40] Certain orange stars can also contain a high concentration of lithium. Those orange stars found to have a higher than usual concentration of lithium (such as Centaurus X-4) orbit massive objects—neutron stars or black holes—whose gravity evidently pulls heavier lithium to the surface of a hydrogen-helium star, causing more lithium to be observed.[15]

text: Terrestrial[edit]

text:
Lithium mine production (2016), reserves and resources in tonnes according to USGS[41]

Country
Production
Reserves[note 1]
Resources

 Argentina
5,700
2,000,000
9,000,000

 Australia
14,300
1,600,000
2,000,000+

 Austria
-
-
100,000+

 Bolivia
-
-
9,000,000

 Brazil
200
48,000
200,000

 Canada (2010)
480
180,000
2,000,000

 Chile
12,000
7,500,000
7,500,000+

 DR Congo
-
-
1,000,000

 Mexico
-
-
200,000

 People's Republic of China
2,000
3,200,000
7,000,000

 Portugal
200
60,000
N/A

 Russia
-
-
1,000,000

 Serbia
-
-
1,000,000

 United States
W[note 2]
38,000
6,900,000

 Zimbabwe
900
23,000
100,000+

World total
32,500
14,000,000
46,900,000

tag: table

text: Although lithium is widely distributed on Earth, it does not naturally occur in elemental form due to its high reactivity.[5] The total lithium content of seawater is very large and is estimated as 230 billion tonnes, where the element exists at a relatively constant concentration of 0.14 to 0.25 parts per million (ppm),[42][43] or 25 micromolar;[44] higher concentrations approaching 7 ppm are found near hydrothermal vents.[43]

text: Estimates for the Earth's crustal content range from 20 to 70 ppm by weight.[16] In keeping with its name, lithium forms a minor part of igneous rocks, with the largest concentrations in granites. Granitic pegmatites also provide the greatest abundance of lithium-containing minerals, with spodumene and petalite being the most commercially viable sources.[16] Another significant mineral of lithium is lepidolite.[45] A newer source for lithium is hectorite clay, the only active development of which is through the Western Lithium Corporation in the United States.[46] At 20 mg lithium per kg of Earth's crust,[47] lithium is the 25th most abundant element.

text: According to the Handbook of Lithium and Natural Calcium, "Lithium is a comparatively rare element, although it is found in many rocks and some brines, but always in very low concentrations. There are a fairly large number of both lithium mineral and brine deposits but only comparatively few of them are of actual or potential commercial value. Many are very small, others are too low in grade."[48]

text: The US Geological Survey estimates that in 2010, Chile had the largest reserves by far (7.5 million tonnes)[49] and the highest annual production (8,800 tonnes). One of the largest reserve bases[note 1] of lithium is in the Salar de Uyuni area of Bolivia, which has 5.4 million tonnes. Other major suppliers include Australia, Argentina and China.[41][50] As of 2015 Czech Geological Survey considered the entire Ore Mountains in the Czech Republic as lithium province. Five deposits are registered, one near Cínovec (cs) is considered as potentially economic deposit with 160 000 tonnes of lithium.[51]

text: In June 2010, The New York Times reported that American geologists were conducting ground surveys on dry salt lakes in western Afghanistan believing that large deposits of lithium are located there. "Pentagon officials said that their initial analysis at one location in Ghazni Province showed the potential for lithium deposits as large as those of Bolivia, which now has the world's largest known lithium reserves."[52] These estimates are "based principally on old data, which was gathered mainly by the Soviets during their occupation of Afghanistan from 1979–1989". Stephen Peters, the head of the USGS's Afghanistan Minerals Project, said that he was unaware of USGS involvement in any new surveying for minerals in Afghanistan in the past two years. 'We are not aware of any discoveries of lithium,' he said."[53]

text: Lithia ("lithium brine") is associated with tin mining areas in Cornwall, England and an evaluation project from 400-metre deep test boreholes is under consideration. If successful the hot brines will also provide geothermal energy to power the lithium extraction and refining process.[54]

text: Biological[edit]

text: Lithium is found in trace amount in numerous plants, plankton, and invertebrates, at concentrations of 69 to 5,760 parts per billion (ppb). In vertebrates the concentration is slightly lower, and nearly all vertebrate tissue and body fluids contain lithium ranging from 21 to 763 ppb.[43] Marine organisms tend to bioaccumulate lithium more than terrestrial organisms.[55] Whether lithium has a physiological role in any of these organisms is unknown.[43]

text: History[edit]

text: Petalite (LiAlSi4O10) was discovered in 1800 by the Brazilian chemist and statesman José Bonifácio de Andrada e Silva in a mine on the island of Utö, Sweden.[56][57][58][59] However, it was not until 1817 that Johan August Arfwedson, then working in the laboratory of the chemist Jöns Jakob Berzelius, detected the presence of a new element while analyzing petalite ore.[60][61][62][63] This element formed compounds similar to those of sodium and potassium, though its carbonate and hydroxide were less soluble in water and more alkaline.[64] Berzelius gave the alkaline material the name "lithion/lithina", from the Greek word λιθoς (transliterated as lithos, meaning "stone"), to reflect its discovery in a solid mineral, as opposed to potassium, which had been discovered in plant ashes, and sodium, which was known partly for its high abundance in animal blood. He named the metal inside the material "lithium".[5][58][63]

text: Arfwedson later showed that this same element was present in the minerals spodumene and lepidolite.[65][58] In 1818, Christian Gmelin was the first to observe that lithium salts give a bright red color to flame.[58][66] However, both Arfwedson and Gmelin tried and failed to isolate the pure element from its salts.[58][63][67] It was not isolated until 1821, when William Thomas Brande obtained it by electrolysis of lithium oxide, a process that had previously been employed by the chemist Sir Humphry Davy to isolate the alkali metals potassium and sodium.[15][67][68][69][70] Brande also described some pure salts of lithium, such as the chloride, and, estimating that lithia (lithium oxide) contained about 55% metal, estimated the atomic weight of lithium to be around 9.8 g/mol (modern value ~6.94 g/mol).[71] 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]

text: The production and use of lithium underwent several drastic changes in history. The first major application of lithium was in high-temperature lithium greases for aircraft engines and similar applications in World War II and shortly after. This use was supported by the fact that lithium-based soaps have a higher melting point than other alkali soaps, and are less corrosive than calcium based soaps. The small demand for lithium soaps and lubricating greases was supported by several small mining operations, mostly in the US.

text: The demand for lithium increased dramatically during the Cold War with the production of nuclear fusion weapons. Both lithium-6 and lithium-7 produce tritium when irradiated by neutrons, and are thus useful for the production of tritium by itself, as well as a form of solid fusion fuel used inside hydrogen bombs in the form of lithium deuteride. The US became the prime producer of lithium between the late 1950s and the mid 1980s. At the end, the stockpile of lithium was roughly 42,000 tonnes of lithium hydroxide. The stockpiled lithium was depleted in lithium-6 by 75%, which was enough to affect the measured atomic weight of lithium in many standardized chemicals, and even the atomic weight of lithium in some "natural sources" of lithium ion which had been "contaminated" by lithium salts discharged from isotope separation facilities, which had found its way into ground water.[32][75]

text: Lithium was used to decrease the melting temperature of glass and to improve the melting behavior of aluminium oxide when using the Hall-Héroult process.[76][77] These two uses dominated the market until the middle of the 1990s. After the end of the nuclear arms race, the demand for lithium decreased and the sale of Department of Energy stockpiles on the open market further reduced prices.[75] In the mid 1990s, several companies started to extract lithium from brine which proved to be a less expensive than underground or open-pit mining. Most of the mines closed or shifted their focus to other materials because only the ore from zoned pegmatites could be mined for a competitive price. For example, the US mines near Kings Mountain, North Carolina closed before the beginning of the 21st century.

text: The development of lithium ion batteries increased the demand for lithium and became the dominant use in 2007.[78] With the surge of lithium demand in batteries in the 2000s, new companies have expanded brine extraction efforts to meet the rising demand.[79][80]

text: Production[edit]

text: Lithium production has greatly increased since the end of World War II. The metal is separated from other elements in igneous minerals. The metal is produced through electrolysis from a mixture of fused 55% lithium chloride and 45% potassium chloride at about 450 °C.[81]

text: As of 2015, most of the world's lithium production is in South America, where lithium-containing brine is extracted from underground pools and concentrated by solar evaporation. The standard extraction technique is to evaporate water from brine. Each batch takes from 18 to 24 months.[82]

text: In 1998, the price of lithium was about 95 USD/kg (or 43 USD/lb).[83]

text: Reserves[edit]

text: Worldwide identified reserves in 2008 were estimated by the US Geological Survey (USGS) to be 13 million tonnes,[41] though an accurate estimate of world lithium reserves is difficult.[84][85] One reason for this is that most lithium classification schemes are developed for solid ore deposits, whereas brine is a fluid that is problematic to treat with the same classification scheme due to varying concentrations and pumping effects.[86] The world has been estimated to contain about 15 million tonnes of lithium reserves, while 65 million tonnes of known resources are reasonable. A total of 75% of everything can typically be found in the ten largest deposits of the world.[87] Another study noted that 83% of the geological resources of lithium are located in six brine, two pegmatite, and two sedimentary deposits.[88]

text: Deposits are found in South America throughout the Andes mountain chain. Chile is the leading producer, followed by Argentina. Both countries recover lithium from brine pools. According to USGS, Bolivia's Uyuni Desert has 5.4 million tonnes of lithium.[89][90]

text: In the US, lithium is recovered from brine pools in Nevada.[13] Half the world's known reserves are located in Bolivia along the central eastern slope of the Andes. In 2009, Bolivia negotiated with Japanese, French, and Korean firms to begin extraction.[89] A deposit discovered in 2013 in Wyoming's Rock Springs Uplift is estimated to contain 228,000 tons. Additional deposits in the same formation were estimated to be as much as 18 million tons.[91]

text: Opinions differ about potential growth. A 2008 study concluded that "realistically achievable lithium carbonate production will be sufficient for only a small fraction of future PHEV and EV global market requirements", that "demand from the portable electronics sector will absorb much of the planned production increases in the next decade", and that "mass production of lithium carbonate is not environmentally sound, it will cause irreparable ecological damage to ecosystems that should be protected and that LiIon propulsion is incompatible with the notion of the 'Green Car'".[50]

text: According to a 2011 study by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the University of California, Berkeley, the currently estimated reserve base of lithium should not be a limiting factor for large-scale battery production for electric vehicles because an estimated 1 billion 40 kWh Li-based batteries could be built with current reserves[92] - about 10 kg of lithium per car.[93] Another 2011 study at the University of Michigan and Ford Motor Company found enough resources to support global demand until 2100, including the lithium required for the potential widespread transportation use. The study estimated global reserves at 39 million tons, and total demand for lithium during the 90-year period analyzed at 12–20 million tons, depending on the scenarios regarding economic growth and recycling rates.[94]

text: On June 9, 2014, the Financialist stated that demand for lithium was growing at more than 12% a year. According to Credit Suisse, this rate exceeds projected availability by 25%. The publication compared the 2014 lithium situation with oil, whereby "higher oil prices spurred investment in expensive deepwater and oil sands production techniques"; that is, the price of lithium will continue to rise until more expensive production methods that can boost total output receive the attention of investors.[95]

text: Pricing[edit]

text: After the 2007 financial crisis, major suppliers such as Sociedad Química y Minera (SQM) dropped lithium carbonate pricing by 20%.[96] Prices rose in 2012. A 2012 Business Week article outlined the oligopoly in the lithium space: "SQM, controlled by billionaire Julio Ponce, is the second-largest, followed by Rockwood, which is backed by Henry Kravis’s KKR & Co., and Philadelphia-based FMC". Global consumption may jump to 300,000 metric tons a year by 2020 from about 150,000 tons in 2012, to match the demand for lithium batteries that has been growing at about 25% a year, outpacing the 4% to 5% overall gain in lithium production.[97]

text: Extraction[edit]

text: Lithium salts are extracted from water in mineral springs, brine pools, and brine deposits.

text: Lithium is present in seawater, but commercially viable methods of extraction have yet to be developed.[82]

text: Another potential source of lithium is the leachates of geothermal wells, which are carried to the surface.[98] Recovery of lithium has been demonstrated in the field; the lithium is separated by simple filtration.[99] The process and environmental costs are primarily those of the already-operating well; net environmental impacts may thus be positive.[100]

text: Uses[edit]

text: Ceramics and glass[edit]

text: Lithium oxide is widely used as a flux for processing silica, reducing the melting point and viscosity of the material and leading to glazes with improved physical properties including low coefficients of thermal expansion. Worldwide, this is one of the largest use for lithium compounds.[101][102] Glazes containing lithium oxides are used for ovenware. Lithium carbonate (Li2CO3) is generally used in this application because it converts to the oxide upon heating.[103]

text: Electrical and electronics[edit]

text: Late in the 20th century, lithium became an important component of battery electrolytes and electrodes, because of its high electrode potential. Because of its low atomic mass, it has a high charge- and power-to-weight ratio. A typical lithium-ion battery can generate approximately 3 volts per cell, compared with 2.1 volts for lead-acid or 1.5 volts for zinc-carbon cells. Lithium-ion batteries, which are rechargeable and have a high energy density, should not be confused with lithium batteries, which are disposable (primary) batteries with lithium or its compounds as the anode.[104][105] Other rechargeable batteries that use lithium include the lithium-ion polymer battery, lithium iron phosphate battery, and the nanowire battery.

text: Lubricating greases[edit]

text: The third most common use of lithium is in greases. Lithium hydroxide is a strong base and, when heated with a fat, produces a soap made of lithium stearate. Lithium soap has the ability to thicken oils, and it is used to manufacture all-purpose, high-temperature lubricating greases.[13][106][107]

text: Metallurgy[edit]

text: Lithium (e.g. as lithium carbonate) is used as an additive to continuous casting mould flux slags where it increases fluidity,[108][109] a use which accounts for 5% of global lithium use (2011).[41] Lithium compounds are also used as additives (fluxes) to foundry sand for iron casting to reduce veining.[110]

text: Lithium (as lithium fluoride) is used as an additive to aluminium smelters (Hall–Héroult process), reducing melting temperature and increasing electrical resistance,[111] a use which accounts for 3% of production (2011).[41]

text: When used as a flux for welding or soldering, metallic lithium promotes the fusing of metals during the process[112] and eliminates the forming of oxides by absorbing impurities.[113] Alloys of the metal with aluminium, cadmium, copper and manganese are used to make high-performance aircraft parts (see also Lithium-aluminium alloys).[114]

text: Silicon nano-welding[edit]

text: Lithium has been found effective in assisting the perfection of silicon nano-welds in electronic components for electric batteries and other devices.[115]

text: Other chemical and industrial uses[edit]

text: Pyrotechnics[edit]

text: Lithium compounds are used as pyrotechnic colorants and oxidizers in red fireworks and flares.[13][117]

text: Air purification[edit]

text: Lithium chloride and lithium bromide are hygroscopic and are used as desiccants for gas streams.[13] Lithium hydroxide and lithium peroxide are the salts most used in confined areas, such as aboard spacecraft and submarines, for carbon dioxide removal and air purification. Lithium hydroxide absorbs carbon dioxide from the air by forming lithium carbonate, and is preferred over other alkaline hydroxides for its low weight.

text: Lithium peroxide (Li2O2) in presence of moisture not only reacts with carbon dioxide to form lithium carbonate, but also releases oxygen.[118][119] The reaction is as follows:

text: Some of the aforementioned compounds, as well as lithium perchlorate, are used in oxygen candles that supply submarines with oxygen. These can also include small amounts of boron, magnesium, aluminum, silicon, titanium, manganese, and iron.[120]

text: Optics[edit]

text: Lithium fluoride, artificially grown as crystal, is clear and transparent and often used in specialist optics for IR, UV and VUV (vacuum UV) applications. It has one of the lowest refractive indexes and the furthest transmission range in the deep UV of most common materials.[121] Finely divided lithium fluoride powder has been used for thermoluminescent radiation dosimetry (TLD): when a sample of such is exposed to radiation, it accumulates crystal defects which, when heated, resolve via a release of bluish light whose intensity is proportional to the absorbed dose, thus allowing this to be quantified.[122] Lithium fluoride is sometimes used in focal lenses of telescopes.[13][123]

text: The high non-linearity of lithium niobate also makes it useful in non-linear optics applications. It is used extensively in telecommunication products such as mobile phones and optical modulators, for such components as resonant crystals. Lithium applications are used in more than 60% of mobile phones.[124]

text: Organic and polymer chemistry[edit]

text: Organolithium compounds are widely used in the production of polymer and fine-chemicals. In the polymer industry, which is the dominant consumer of these reagents, alkyl lithium compounds are catalysts/initiators.[125] in anionic polymerization of unfunctionalized olefins.[126][127][128] For the production of fine chemicals, organolithium compounds function as strong bases and as reagents for the formation of carbon-carbon bonds. Organolithium compounds are prepared from lithium metal and alkyl halides.[129]

text: Many other lithium compounds are used as reagents to prepare organic compounds. Some popular compounds include lithium aluminium hydride (LiAlH4), lithium triethylborohydride, n-Butyllithium and tert-butyllithium are commonly used as extremely strong bases called superbase.

text: Military applications[edit]

text: Metallic lithium and its complex hydrides, such as Li[AlH4], are used as high-energy additives to rocket propellants.[15] Lithium aluminum hydride can also be used by itself as a solid fuel.[130]

text: The Mark 50 torpedo stored chemical energy propulsion system (SCEPS) uses a small tank of sulfur hexafluoride gas, which is sprayed over a block of solid lithium. The reaction generates heat, creating steam to propel the torpedo in a closed Rankine cycle.[131]

text: Lithium hydride containing lithium-6 is used in thermonuclear weapons, where it serves as fuel for the fusion stage of the bomb.[132]

text: Nuclear[edit]

text: Lithium-6 is valued as a source material for tritium production and as a neutron absorber in nuclear fusion. Natural lithium contains about 7.5% lithium-6 from which large amounts of lithium-6 have been produced by isotope separation for use in nuclear weapons.[133] Lithium-7 gained interest for use in nuclear reactor coolants.[134]

text: Lithium deuteride was the fusion fuel of choice in early versions of the hydrogen bomb. When bombarded by neutrons, both 6Li and 7Li produce tritium — this reaction, which was not fully understood when hydrogen bombs were first tested, was responsible for the runaway yield of the Castle Bravo nuclear test. Tritium fuses with deuterium in a fusion reaction that is relatively easy to achieve. Although details remain secret, lithium-6 deuteride apparently still plays a role in modern nuclear weapons as a fusion material.[135]

text: Lithium fluoride, when highly enriched in the lithium-7 isotope, forms the basic constituent of the fluoride salt mixture LiF-BeF2 used in liquid fluoride nuclear reactors. Lithium fluoride is exceptionally chemically stable and LiF-BeF2 mixtures have low melting points. In addition, 7Li, Be, and F are among the few nuclides with low enough thermal neutron capture cross-sections not to poison the fission reactions inside a nuclear fission reactor.[note 3][136]

text: In conceptualized (hypothetical) nuclear fusion power plants, lithium will be used to produce tritium in magnetically confined reactors using deuterium and tritium as the fuel. Naturally occurring tritium is extremely rare, and must be synthetically produced by surrounding the reacting plasma with a 'blanket' containing lithium where neutrons from the deuterium-tritium reaction in the plasma will fission the lithium to produce more tritium:

text: Lithium is also used as a source for alpha particles, or helium nuclei. When 7Li is bombarded by accelerated protons 8Be is formed, which undergoes fission to form two alpha particles. This feat, called "splitting the atom" at the time, was the first fully man-made nuclear reaction. It was produced by Cockroft and Walton in 1932.[137][138]

text: In 2013, the US Government Accountability Office said a shortage of lithium-7 critical to the operation of 65 out of 100 American nuclear reactors “places their ability to continue to provide electricity at some risk”. The problem stems from the decline of US nuclear infrastructure. The equipment needed to separate lithium-6 from lithium-7 is mostly a cold war leftover. The US shut down most of this machinery in 1963, when it had a huge surplus of separated lithium, mostly consumed during the twentieth century. The report said it would take five years and $10 million to $12 million to reestablish the ability to separate lithium-6 from lithium-7.[139]

text: Reactors that use lithium-7 heat water under high pressure and transfer heat through heat exchangers that are prone to corrosion. The reactors use lithium to counteract the corrosive effects of boric acid, which is added to the water to absorb excess neutrons.[139]

text: Medicine[edit]

text: Lithium is useful in the treatment of bipolar disorder.[140] Lithium salts may also be helpful for related diagnoses, such as schizoaffective disorder and cyclic major depression. The active part of these salts is the lithium ion Li+.[140] They may increase the risk of developing Ebstein's cardiac anomaly in infants born to women who take lithium during the first trimester of pregnancy.[141]

text: Lithium has also been researched as a possible treatment for cluster headaches.[142]

text: Biological role[edit]

text: Primary food sources of lithium are grains and vegetables, and, in some areas, drinking water also contains significant amounts.[143] Human intake varies depending on location and diet.

text: Lithium was first detected in human organs and fetal tissues in the late 19th century. In humans there are no defined lithium deficiency diseases, but low lithium intakes from water supplies were associated with increased rates of suicides, homicides and the arrest rates for drug use and other crimes. The biochemical mechanisms of action of lithium appear to be multifactorial and are intercorrelated with the functions of several enzymes, hormones and vitamins, as well as with growth and transforming factors. Evidence now appears to be sufficient to accept lithium as essential; a provisional RDA of 1,000 µg/day is suggested for a 70 kg adult.[143][144]

text: Precautions[edit]

text:
NFPA 704
fire diamond

3
2
2
W

Fire diamond hazard sign for lithium metal[145]

text: Lithium is corrosive and requires special handling to avoid skin contact. Breathing lithium dust or lithium compounds (which are often alkaline) initially irritate the nose and throat, while higher exposure can cause a buildup of fluid in the lungs, leading to pulmonary edema. The metal itself is a handling hazard because contact with moisture produces the caustic lithium hydroxide. Lithium is safely stored in non-reactive compounds such as naphtha.[146]

text: Regulation[edit]

text: Some jurisdictions limit the sale of lithium batteries, which are the most readily available source of lithium for ordinary consumers. Lithium can be used to reduce pseudoephedrine and ephedrine to methamphetamine in the Birch reduction method, which employs solutions of alkali metals dissolved in anhydrous ammonia.[147][148]

text: Carriage and shipment of some kinds of lithium batteries may be prohibited aboard certain types of transportation (particularly aircraft) because of the ability of most types of lithium batteries to fully discharge very rapidly when short-circuited, leading to overheating and possible explosion in a process called thermal runaway. Most consumer lithium batteries have built-in thermal overload protection to prevent this type of incident, or are otherwise designed to limit short-circuit currents. Internal shorts from manufacturing defect or physical damage can lead to spontaneous thermal runaway.[149][150]