Lithium ore dressing process production plant

1. Process Overview

Lithium ore beneficiation needs to select flotation, magnetic separation, gravity separation or combined processes according to the ore type (spodumene, lepidolite, petalite, etc.) and the characteristics of associated minerals. For lithium ores with low grade (Li₂O 0.8%-1.5%) and many impurities (iron, mica, quartz, etc.), ZOOMJO GROUP achieves lithium concentrate Li₂O grade>5% and comprehensive recovery rate>80% through process combination.

2. Core technology and technical advantages

1. Flotation method

Positive flotation (direct lithium extraction):

Process: Grind to -0.074mm → Strong alkali (NaOH) slurry adjustment (pH 10-11) → Oleic acid soap collector floats lithium minerals → Select and remove impurities.

Advantages:

Rapidly enrich spodumene, with Li₂O grade of concentrate reaching 5%-6%;

High-concentration scrubbing and desludging reduces mud interference and reduces reagent consumption by 30%.

Reverse flotation (inhibition of lithium extraction):

Process: lime slurry (pH 11-12) → starch inhibits lithium minerals → cationic collector floats silicate gangue → tailings are lithium concentrate.

Advantages:

Applicable to high-silicon lithium ores containing iron and mica, with a Li₂O recovery rate of >75%;

Adding HF activator can simultaneously remove iron, and the iron content can be reduced to below 0.5%.

2. Magnetic separation (iron removal and purification)

Strong magnetic separation process:

Equipment: high gradient magnetic separator (magnetic field strength 1.2-1.5T);

Process: flotation concentrate → magnetic separation of weakly magnetic iron minerals → low iron lithium concentrate (Fe₂O₃＜0.3%).

Application: deep impurity removal of spodumene, lepidolite-associated hematite, and ilmenite.

3. Heavy medium separation (coarse particle separation)

Process:

Ore is crushed to 2-5mm → Heavy medium cyclone (density 2.7-3.2g/cm³) is used for sorting → Lithium concentrate (heavy product) is separated from gangue.

Advantages:

Separation efficiency> 90%, suitable for pre-enrichment of coarse-grained spodumene (+0.3mm);

Recycling rate of heavy suspension (ferrosilicon/magnetite powder)> 95%.

4. Combined process (complex ore body)

Combined flotation and magnetic separation:

Process: flotation to obtain lithium concentrate → strong magnetic separation to remove iron → Li₂O＞6%, Fe₂O₃＜0.2%;

Case: A spodumene mine in Sichuan, with ore Li₂O 1.2%, concentrate Li₂O 6.3%, and recovery rate 82%.

Flotation-magnetic separation-gravity separation combined:

Process:

Gravity separation: Recover heavy minerals such as tantalum and niobium to reduce the amount of subsequent processing;

Flotation: Oleic acid + oxidized paraffin soap captures spodumene;

Magnetic separation: Strong magnetic iron removal, concentrate Li₂O＞5.5%.

Advantages: Comprehensive recovery of multiple metals, tailings resource rate＞40%.

3. Technical highlights

High-efficiency desludging technology:

Spiral classifier + hydrocyclone closed-circuit desludging, -20μm ore slime removal rate> 85%, improving flotation selectivity.

Composite collector system:

Oxidized paraffin soap + cyclohexane acid soap synergistically enhance the lithium mineral adsorption rate by 15%.

Green closed-loop circulation:

Wastewater treatment: neutralization sedimentation + membrane filtration, reuse rate > 90%;

Dry tailings discharge: moisture content < 15%, used to prepare ceramic or concrete aggregates.

4. Typical case: A lithium mica mine project in Jiangxi (3000t/d)

Ore characteristics: Li₂O 0.9%, containing iron, quartz, feldspar, and fine embedded particle size (-0.074mm accounts for 75%).

Process plan:

Stage grinding and flotation: first stage grinding (-0.3mm) → reverse flotation desiliconization → second stage grinding (-0.074mm) → direct flotation lithium extraction;

Magnetic separation and iron removal: strong magnetic separation concentrate Fe₂O₃ is reduced from 1.8% to 0.25%.

Results：

Full industry chain service:

ZOOMJO GROUP provides one-stop service of "experimental research-engineering design-equipment intelligent manufacturing-operation management", shortening the project production cycle by 30%.