LC Research Center “Hydrometallurgy”, Saint Petersburg, Russia

Т. Yu. Kositskaya, Senior Researcher, Candidate of Technical Sciences, e-mail: kositskaya-t@gidrometall.ru
М. М. Ananova, Laboratory Assistant
I. V. Fomenko, General Director, Candidate of Technical Sciences
Ya. М. Shneerson, Director for Science, Doctor of Technical Sciences

The main types of primary lithium raw materials are traditional ore materials and hydromineral reserves. Spodumene is the main industrial mineral of lithium. In recent decades, the issue of processing spodumene concentrates to provide lithium to modern high-tech industries has remained relevant. Technologies that can meet the growth of industrial demand with minimal environmental impact are in demand. The article presents the results of laboratory studies of primary processing operations of spodumene concentrate in two ways: using traditional sulfuric acid and promising autoclave soda technologies. Both options are applicable to β-spodumene obtained from α-modification during the decrepitation operation, and provide a high degree of recovery of the target metal into the production solution which is more than 90%. The reaction products in the autoclave are poorly soluble lithium carbonate and sodium aluminosilicate (analcime). When processing the residue of autoclave leaching with lime milk, lithium from the carbonate is converted into a solution in the form of hydroxide. A spodumene concentrate from one of the Russian deposits with a lithium content of 2.7% has been used for the research. With the use of modern equipment, the main parameters of the primary process stages of two technologies (including decrepitation) have been experimentally worked out. It is shown that the autoclave (soda) method of processing spodumene concentrate makes it possible to obtain production lithium solutions that are practically free of impurities of Fe, Al, Mg, Ca, and sulfates, which eliminates stepwise purification operations (as in the sulfuric acid method) and provides environmental benefits (reducing the volume and aggressiveness of wastewater, solid waste, and gas emissions).

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