The production of battery-grade lithium carbonate from spodumene involves several critical steps to ensure the final product meets the required purity and quality standards. Here is a detailed overview of the process:
The first step involves crushing and grinding the spodumene ore to a suitable particle size. Typically, the ore is crushed to less than 20 millimeters to ensure uniform heating during the roasting process.
The ground spodumene is then subjected to a high-temperature roasting process, usually between 850-1050°C. This step converts the lithium within the spodumene into a more soluble lithium compound, such as lithium sulfate.
Post-roasting, the material needs to be ground to a finer particle size, typically between 100-200 mesh (75-150 microns), to enhance the efficiency of the subsequent acid leaching process. This is where our company’s **LM Vertical Mill** plays a crucial role. The LM Vertical Mill integrates crushing, grinding, powder selection, drying, and material conveying into a single, efficient system. It ensures high grinding efficiency and precise control over the final particle size, which is essential for optimizing the leaching process.
The finely ground roasted material is then reacted with sulfuric acid in a leaching process. This step is conducted under high temperature and pressure to maximize the extraction of lithium into the solution.
The leach solution, containing dissolved lithium, undergoes several purification steps to remove impurities. This can include precipitation, filtration, and ion exchange processes to ensure the solution meets the desired purity levels.
The purified lithium solution is then reacted with sodium carbonate to precipitate lithium carbonate. This step requires precise control of temperature and pH to ensure the production of high-purity lithium carbonate crystals.
The lithium carbonate precipitate is filtered to remove excess water and impurities. It is then dried to obtain solid lithium carbonate, which is ready for further processing or direct use.
For battery-grade lithium carbonate, additional refining steps are often necessary. This can include recrystallization and washing to remove any remaining trace impurities, ensuring the final product meets the stringent quality requirements for battery applications.
The refined lithium carbonate is then packaged and stored, ready for use in the production of lithium-ion batteries.
The entire process from raw material preparation to the final product requires careful control and optimization of various parameters. Our **LM Vertical Mill** significantly enhances the efficiency and effectiveness of the grinding stage, ensuring a high-quality feed material for subsequent processing steps. This integration of advanced grinding technology with the overall production process helps achieve consistent production of battery-grade lithium carbonate, meeting the high standards required by the battery industry.
