Spodumene is processed by experiment for lithium extraction

Spodumene can be beneficiated from hand selection and flotation. Positive flotation and reverse flotation are flotation methods. Positive flotation is a common method. After high concentrations, strong stirring, multiple washings and deslimings of sodium hydroxide or sodium carbonate pulp, adding fatty acids (such as oleic acid) as collectors to directly float spodumene, it is possible to obtain spodumene concentrates with a grade greater than 5% LiO2 and a recovery rate of 70% to 75% after three selections. A mine in Xinjiang, my country, contains 1.3% LiO2. A spodumene concentrate grade of 4% to 5% is obtained after normal temperature flotation, and a recovery rate of 85% to 90% is achieved.

The reverse flotation process of spodumene is to use dextrin, starch, etc. to inhibit spodumene in an alkaline medium adjusted by lime and use a cationic collector (such as acetate alcohol of dextran amine) to float silicate. Gangue-like minerals, the product in the tank is spodumene concentrate, and HF resinate foaming agent is used to further extract iron minerals if necessary.

There are two methods for flotation separation between beryl and spodumene: mixed flotation and preferential flotation (preferential flotation of beryl followed by spodumene, preferential flotation of spodumene followed by beryl, or preferential flotation of part of lithium followed by beryl). It is possible to flot pyroxene followed by lithium beryllium mixed selection and separation, using cationic collectors and anionic collectors.

 

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