Lithium ore combined beneficiation process

In nature, lithium ore often comes with complex components, so it is sometimes difficult to obtain qualified lithium concentrate using a single beneficiation method. If necessary, a combined process can be used for separation, such as flotation magnetic separation process, flotation gravity magnetic separation process, flotation chemical treatment process, etc.

1.Flotation+magnetic separation process

1.Ore crushing and grinding：First, the lithium ore is crushed and then finely ground to achieve the appropriate fineness for subsequent flotation treatment.

2.Flotation：

Coarse flotation：Mix the ground slurry with a combination of oxidized paraffin soap and naphthenic acid soap as collectors, and add NaOH as a pH regulator to adjust the alkalinity of the slurry. In alkaline environments, the surface property differences between spodumene and other gangue minerals are enhanced, which is beneficial for the flotation of spodumene. The goal of rough flotation is to recover as much spodumene as possible.
Fine flotation： Further flotation of spodumene concentrate obtained from rough flotation to further improve the grade of spodumene.

3.Strong magnetic separation：

The spodumene concentrate obtained through flotation contains a small amount of iron impurities, which need to be removed by strong magnetic separation process. High intensity magnetic separation usually uses wet high intensity magnetic separators, which use the magnetic differences of minerals to separate iron impurities from spodumene.
The concentrate after strong magnetic separation is sieved through a medium removal screen to remove residual heavy medium particles and obtain spodumene concentrate with low iron content.

4.Concentrate Treatment：Finally, the magnetically separated spodumene concentrate is dried, screened, and other treatments are carried out to obtain the final product.

Technological advantages

Efficient Lithium Recovery：The flotation+magnetic separation process can efficiently recover spodumene from lithium ore, improving the lithium recovery rate.
Impurity control： Through the strong magnetic separation process, the iron impurity content in spodumene concentrate can be effectively controlled, improving the quality of the concentrate.
Strong adaptability：This process is suitable for the treatment of various lithium ores and has strong adaptability.
Easy to operate：The process flow is relatively simple, with fewer operating steps and lower technical requirements for operators.
Environmental Protection：Compared with traditional chemical beneficiation methods, this process uses fewer chemical reagents and has a smaller impact on the environment.
The lithium ore flotation+magnetic separation process is an efficient, environmentally friendly, and easy to operate lithium ore treatment method. Through two steps of flotation and magnetic separation, high-quality spodumene concentrate can be obtained.

2.Flotation+magnetic separation+gravity beneficiation process

1.Ore crushing and grinding：First, the lithium ore is crushed and then finely ground to achieve the appropriate fineness for subsequent ore processing.

2.Gravity beneficiation

The ground material enters the gravity beneficiation stage, which mainly removes mineral products with high density such as tantalum and niobium. Gravity beneficiation methods can be chutes, shakers, or other gravity separation equipment.
The tailings after gravity beneficiation are concentrated and deslimed by a thickener to reduce the amount of pulp required for subsequent flotation treatment.

3.Flotation

The concentrated tailings are mixed with oleic acid and oxidized paraffin soap for slurry preparation. These two substances serve as collectors and aid in the flotation of spodumene.
Under high alkalinity conditions, flotation enhances the surface property differences between spodumene and other gangue minerals, which is beneficial for the flotation of spodumene.
The flotation process usually includes a coarse and fine flotation step to recover as much spodumene as possible and improve the concentrate grade.

4.Strong magnetic separation

The lithium pyroxene concentrate obtained by flotation may still contain a small amount of iron impurities, and further iron removal is required through strong magnetic separation process.
High intensity magnetic separation usually uses wet high intensity magnetic separators, which use the magnetic differences of minerals to separate iron impurities from spodumene.

5.Concentrate Treatment

The concentrate after strong magnetic separation is sieved through a medium removal screen to remove residual heavy medium particles.
Finally, the concentrate is subjected to drying, screening, and other treatments to obtain the final product.

Technological advantages

Efficient lithium recovery：This process can efficiently recover spodumene from lithium ore, improving the lithium recovery rate.
Impurity control：Through gravity beneficiation and strong magnetic separation processes, the impurity content of tantalum, niobium, and iron in spodumene concentrate can be effectively controlled, improving the quality of the concentrate.
Comprehensive utilization：Various physical beneficiation methods such as flotation, magnetic separation, and gravity beneficiation are comprehensively utilized to improve the comprehensive utilization rate of resources.
Strong adaptability：This process is suitable for the treatment of various lithium ores and has strong adaptability.
Environmental Protection：Compared with traditional chemical beneficiation methods, this process uses fewer chemical reagents and has a smaller impact on the environment.
Easy to operate：The process flow is relatively simple, with fewer operating steps and lower technical requirements for operators.
The lithium ore flotation+magnetic separation+gravity beneficiation process is an efficient, environmentally friendly, and easy to operate lithium ore treatment method. Through various physical beneficiation methods, high-quality spodumene concentrate can be obtained.