Lithium has been an important element in the world-wide economy for decades, with applications as diverse as glass and ceramics, lubricating greases and as a valuable reagent for complex chemical synthesis in the form of the useful alkyl lithium reagents.
Lithium has also been used in disposable batteries for decades, but the development of the rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, coupled with the global trend towards electrification of the transportation fleet, has led to a dramatic increase in the demand for lithium.
In addition to the production of lithium from brines, the production of lithium from hard rock ores is increasing, and flotation has proved to be an effective means for the beneficiation of many pegmatitic lithium ores.
Clariant Mining Solutions has developed a range of novel collectors for the flotation of spodumene and other lithium ores, and this poster presents examples of some of the most recent developments. Fatty acids are the typical collectors used for lithium flotation.
The grade and recovery achieved with fatty acid collectors is often below the desired level which means there is room for significant improvement. There are also some significant drawbacks associated with the use of fatty acid collectors, such as the formation of calcium and magnesium soaps which give rise to filtration problems and the need for acid washing. Two strategies have been developed to improve on these standard lithium collectors. The first is achieved through modification of the fatty acid composition. The second strategy is to use is to completely replace the fatty acids with alternative chemistry.
CITATION:Walsh, T, McMaster, M, Tolliday, I and Dopico, P, 2019. New Reagents for Beneficiation of Lithium Ores, in Proceedings MetPlant 2019, pp 408410 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).