The Process for transforming Spodumene to Lithium For the...

The Process for transforming Spodumene to Lithium

For the beginners scratching their heads to give you some idea.



A few things to consider with Spodumene processing it is a multi-step process. Here is a very simplistic description of what goes with examples to help people understand the process.



1. Crush/Grind rock to a specific size - Primary and secondary crushing and put through a screener (mesh) that only allows the specific size required through to the next stage

2. Dense media Separation Gravity/Cyclone - Think of dropping the same sized piece of chalk, a marble and a ball bearing into food mixer full of honey and then spinning it a varying speeds.The heavier material will reach the edge 1st. Spodumene has with a SG (Specific Gravity) or density of approx 2.7 typically. Tin in ore cassiterite 6.4 - 7.0 SG is Niobium SG is 8.57 and Tantalum SG is 16.69

3. Flotation - - Think of blowing bubbles through a milkshake with a straw The that a slurry is put into a container and a impeller blows bubbles through it if the slurry is the right density then the Spodumene particles will attached themselves to the bubbles and rise to the surface.

4. Magnetic Separation remove Iron - So slurry is washed /dried and ore gets passed under a electro magnet which removes most of the iron particles. Iron is regarded as a contaminant.

5. Screening Post Magnetic Separation

6. Roasting - Lithium can be extracted from spodumene concentrates after roasting and acid roasting operations. A concentrate with at least 6% Li2O (approximately 75% spodumene) is suitable for roasting.

7. Acid Treatment - After roasting, the material is cooled and then mixed with sulfuric acid (95-97%). The mixture is roasted again at about 200°C. An exothermic reaction starts at 170°C and lithium is extracted



Note: That ore which are rejected at various stags above go off into secondary processing for Tin, Tantalum Niobium Etc. Also there is a few cleaning /drying steps that occurs in between some stages.