3328 XXXI International Mineral Processing Congress 2024 Proceedings/Washington, DC/Sep 29–Oct 3
spodumene’s dense media separation: the slight specific
gravity differences between spodumene and other silicate
gangue minerals, the mineralogical transformation of spod-
umene to micas and clays with lower specific gravity, and
the tendency of spodumene to fracture into acicular par-
ticles which are more likely to report to the float fraction.
These challenges emphasize the need for a careful balance
in specific gravity settings to optimize separation efficiency
and lithium recovery, taking into account the mineralogical
characteristics and behavior of spodumene in the separa-
tion process.
Studies have demonstrated that as lithium recovery
exceeds 85%, the extraction of heavier gangue minerals, such
as muscovite, also rises (Aghamirian et al., 2012, Legault-
Seguin et al., 2016, Gibson et al., 2021). Furthermore,
given the heterogeneous nature of ores, any alterations to
the modal mineralogy of feed to the DMS can impact the
mass distribution. These findings indicate that DMS has
potential as a pre-concentration of spodumene ore (peg-
matite deposit) (Gibson et al., 2021). The remaining por-
tion of the low-grade spodumene ore (undersize fraction)
was subjected to the flotation study for additional recovery.
This approach highlights the importance of integrating dif-
ferent processing methods to maximize lithium extraction
from varying ore grades, considering the dynamic nature
of mineral distributions in the ore body. The combination
of DMS and flotation offers a comprehensive strategy for
effective resource utilization and optimization of the spod-
umene beneficiation process.
Flotation
Effects of Collectors
Flotation experiments were performed for the lithium
recovery from the low-grade spodumene ore (0.26% Li2O).
To demonstrate the collector’s response for spodumene sep-
aration from gangue minerals, the effects of single anionic
NaOL (direct flotation) and cationic DAA as well as a com-
bination of NaOL/DAA (reverse flotation) are considered.
A collector dosage of 1000 g/t and a pulp pH of 10 were
selected to achieve high Li2O recovery while maintaining
a certain grade and the results are shown in Figure 6. For
0
20
40
60
80
100
2.60 2.70 2.80 2.90 3.00
S.G. (g/cm3)
Spodumene Quartz Muscovite Feldspar Other
0
20
40
60
80
100
2.60 2.70 2.80 2.90 3.00
S.G. (g/cm3)
Spodumene Quartz Muscovite Feldspar Other
1000/+850μm 850/+500μm (a) (b)
Figure 5. Mineral Distribution (wt.%) of sink products for different S.G. (a) Size fraction of 1000/+850 µm (b) Size fraction
of 850/+500 µm
0.00
0.20
0.40
0.60
0.80
1.00
1.20
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
NaOL DAA NaOL/DAA
Collectors (1000 g/t)
Recovery
Grade
Figure 6. Lithium recovery and grade in the presence of
1000 g/t NaOL, DAA, and mixed NaOL/DAA (pH =10)
Mineral
Distribution
of
Sink
Product
(wt.%)
Mineral
Distribution
of
Sink
Product
(wt.%)
Grade
(LiO,
2
%)
LiO
2
Recovery,
%
spodumene’s dense media separation: the slight specific
gravity differences between spodumene and other silicate
gangue minerals, the mineralogical transformation of spod-
umene to micas and clays with lower specific gravity, and
the tendency of spodumene to fracture into acicular par-
ticles which are more likely to report to the float fraction.
These challenges emphasize the need for a careful balance
in specific gravity settings to optimize separation efficiency
and lithium recovery, taking into account the mineralogical
characteristics and behavior of spodumene in the separa-
tion process.
Studies have demonstrated that as lithium recovery
exceeds 85%, the extraction of heavier gangue minerals, such
as muscovite, also rises (Aghamirian et al., 2012, Legault-
Seguin et al., 2016, Gibson et al., 2021). Furthermore,
given the heterogeneous nature of ores, any alterations to
the modal mineralogy of feed to the DMS can impact the
mass distribution. These findings indicate that DMS has
potential as a pre-concentration of spodumene ore (peg-
matite deposit) (Gibson et al., 2021). The remaining por-
tion of the low-grade spodumene ore (undersize fraction)
was subjected to the flotation study for additional recovery.
This approach highlights the importance of integrating dif-
ferent processing methods to maximize lithium extraction
from varying ore grades, considering the dynamic nature
of mineral distributions in the ore body. The combination
of DMS and flotation offers a comprehensive strategy for
effective resource utilization and optimization of the spod-
umene beneficiation process.
Flotation
Effects of Collectors
Flotation experiments were performed for the lithium
recovery from the low-grade spodumene ore (0.26% Li2O).
To demonstrate the collector’s response for spodumene sep-
aration from gangue minerals, the effects of single anionic
NaOL (direct flotation) and cationic DAA as well as a com-
bination of NaOL/DAA (reverse flotation) are considered.
A collector dosage of 1000 g/t and a pulp pH of 10 were
selected to achieve high Li2O recovery while maintaining
a certain grade and the results are shown in Figure 6. For
0
20
40
60
80
100
2.60 2.70 2.80 2.90 3.00
S.G. (g/cm3)
Spodumene Quartz Muscovite Feldspar Other
0
20
40
60
80
100
2.60 2.70 2.80 2.90 3.00
S.G. (g/cm3)
Spodumene Quartz Muscovite Feldspar Other
1000/+850μm 850/+500μm (a) (b)
Figure 5. Mineral Distribution (wt.%) of sink products for different S.G. (a) Size fraction of 1000/+850 µm (b) Size fraction
of 850/+500 µm
0.00
0.20
0.40
0.60
0.80
1.00
1.20
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
NaOL DAA NaOL/DAA
Collectors (1000 g/t)
Recovery
Grade
Figure 6. Lithium recovery and grade in the presence of
1000 g/t NaOL, DAA, and mixed NaOL/DAA (pH =10)
Mineral
Distribution
of
Sink
Product
(wt.%)
Mineral
Distribution
of
Sink
Product
(wt.%)
Grade
(LiO,
2
%)
LiO
2
Recovery,
%