A method for beneficiating and desliming a spodumene ore

Abstract

The application provides a beneficiation desliming method of spodumene ore, and relates to the technical field of beneficiation processing. The method comprises the following steps: mixing spodumene ore, water and an adjusting agent, performing grinding to obtain an ore pulp, performing first-stage cyclone desliming on the ore pulp to obtain first-stage sand and first-stage overflow, and performing second-stage cyclone desliming on the first-stage overflow to obtain second-stage sand and second-stage overflow; and the adjusting agent comprises hydrolyzed polymaleic anhydride and sodium tripolyphosphate. The beneficiation desliming method of spodumene ore provided by the application adds the adjusting agent through grinding operation, so that the adjusting agent is fully dispersed in the ore pulp, the slime is fully dispersed and suspended in the ore pulp, on the basis, the two-stage series cyclone desliming is adopted, the desliming efficiency is improved, and the desliming thoroughness is ensured, the first-stage cyclone desliming and the second-stage cyclone desliming not only play a role in removing the slime, but also realize the pre-concentration of spodumene, and provide good conditions for subsequent flotation operation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of mineral processing technology, and in particular to a method for desliming spodumene ore. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, lithium resources in the lithium industry mainly come from pegmatite-type lithium deposits, with spodumene being a typical example. Spodumene is a chain silicate mineral, often associated with minerals such as quartz, feldspar, and mica. It is easily weathered, leading to mud formation during crushing and grinding, severely deteriorating subsequent flotation operations and affecting the grade and recovery rate of the spodumene concentrate. Therefore, spodumene ore typically undergoes desliming pretreatment before flotation to eliminate the impact of slime on the flotation process. There are three common desliming methods for spodumene ore: conventional settling siphon desliming, centrifugal desliming using hydrocyclones, and flotation desliming with reagents. Sedimentation desliming requires diluting the slurry to a concentration below 10%, relying solely on the gravity of the particles for natural sedimentation, resulting in poor desliming efficiency. Hydrocyclones utilize centrifugal force for desliming, but the separation effect is affected by various aspects of the slurry properties, especially for ores containing weathered mud, where the slurry viscosity, concentration, and particle size distribution are complex, making single-stage hydrocyclone desliming insufficient for effective desliming. Flotation desliming requires the addition of flotation reagents, and flotation foam easily contains fine-grained spodumene, affecting the spodumene recovery rate.

[0003] In view of the above, the present invention is proposed to solve at least one of the above-mentioned technical problems. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this application is to provide a method for beneficiation and desliming of spodumene ore to solve the above-mentioned problems.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, this application provides a method for beneficiation and desliming of spodumene ore, comprising: The spodumene ore, water, and modifier are mixed and ground to obtain raw ore slurry; The raw ore slurry undergoes a primary cyclone desliming process to obtain primary sediment and primary overflow. The primary overflow undergoes secondary cyclone desliming to obtain secondary sedimentation and secondary overflow; The modifiers include hydrolyzed polymaleic anhydride and sodium tripolyphosphate.

[0006] Optionally, the grinding to a fineness of -0.074 mm accounts for 60%-85%.

[0007] Optionally, the mass ratio of the hydrolyzed polymaleic anhydride and the sodium tripolyphosphate in the modifier is (5-10):1.

[0008] Optionally, the amount of the modifier used is 100g / t raw ore to 500g / t raw ore.

[0009] Optionally, the mass concentration of the raw ore slurry is 10%-26%.

[0010] Optionally, the feed pressure of the primary cyclone is 0.05MPa-0.10MPa.

[0011] Optionally, the feed pressure of the secondary cyclone is 0.08 MPa-0.13 MPa.

[0012] Optionally, the primary and secondary sediments are the feed for spodumene flotation.

[0013] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of this application include: The spodumene ore beneficiation and desliming method provided in this application involves adding a modifier during the grinding process to ensure its full dispersion in the raw ore slurry. This guarantees that the ore slime is fully dispersed and suspended in the slurry. The modifier contains hydrolyzed polymaleic anhydride, a low-molecular-weight polyelectrolyte. Its mechanism of action primarily involves electrostatic repulsion, the interaction of polar groups, and complexation reactions to disperse the ore slime and prevent agglomeration, effectively improving the slurry's fluidity. The modifier also contains tripolyphosphate, a polyphosphate agent with significant dispersing properties. Through its unique chemical structure, it interacts with particles in the ore slime, weakening the interactions between particles and thus achieving slime dispersion. When hydrolyzed polymaleic anhydride and tripolyphosphate are used synergistically, they work together to enhance the slime's performance. The hydrolyzed polymaleic anhydride disperses suspended solids in the slime into fine particles, while the tripolyphosphate further stabilizes these fine particles through chelation, preventing re-agglomeration. This synergistic effect significantly improves the dispersion of the slime, making it easier to process. Therefore, when used in conjunction with these two methods, the deposition and agglomeration of suspended solids in the slime can be more effectively prevented, improving the fluidity of the slime. Based on this, the two-stage tandem hydrocyclone desliming system provided in this application performs initial separation, removing most of the fine mud particles. After the first-stage hydrocyclone desliming, the mud content in the first-stage sediment is significantly reduced. The first-stage overflow then undergoes a second-stage hydrocyclone desliming for further refinement and separation, removing remaining trace mud and even finer solid particles. This two-stage tandem hydrocyclone desliming not only improves desliming efficiency but also ensures thorough desliming and increases the hydrocyclone's processing capacity. The first-stage and second-stage hydrocyclone desliming not only remove slime but also achieve pre-enrichment of spodumene, providing favorable conditions for subsequent flotation operations. The specific dispersant provided in this invention pre-conditions the slurry, ensuring it is fully dispersed. Then, utilizing the combined centrifugal and gravitational force field of the hydrocyclone, most of the fine-particle slime is deslimed, providing favorable conditions for subsequent flotation. This invention has the advantages of simple process, good desliming effect, small loss of useful minerals, and environmental friendliness. Attached Figure Description

[0014] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly described below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of this application and should not be regarded as a limitation on the scope of this application.

[0015] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the beneficiation and desliming method for spodumene ore provided in Example 1. Detailed Implementation

[0016] As used in this article: "Prepared from" is synonymous with "comprising". The terms "comprising", "including", "having", "containing", or any other variations thereof as used herein are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a composition, step, method, article, or apparatus that includes the listed elements is not necessarily limited to those elements, but may include other elements not expressly listed or elements inherent to such composition, step, method, article, or apparatus.

[0017] The conjunction "composed of..." excludes any unspecified elements, steps, or components. If used in a claim, this phrase makes the claim closed, excluding materials other than those described, except for associated conventional impurities. When the phrase "composed of..." appears in a clause of the body of a claim rather than immediately following it, it limits only the elements described in that clause; other elements are not excluded from the claim as a whole.

[0018] When a quantity, concentration, or other value or parameter is expressed as a range, a preferred range, or a range defined by a series of upper and lower preferred values, this should be understood as specifically disclosing all ranges formed by any pair of any upper or preferred value with any lower or preferred value, regardless of whether the range is disclosed individually. For example, when the range “1–5” is disclosed, the described range should be interpreted as including ranges “1–4”, “1–3”, “1–2”, “1–2 and 4–5”, “1–3 and 5”, etc. When numerical ranges are described herein, unless otherwise stated, the range is intended to include its endpoints and all integers and fractions within that range.

[0019] In these embodiments, unless otherwise specified, the portions and percentages are all by weight.

[0020] "Parts by mass" refers to the basic unit of measurement that expresses the mass ratio of multiple components. One part can represent any unit mass, such as 1g or 2.689g. If we say that component A has "a" parts by mass and component B has "b" parts by mass, it means the ratio of the mass of component A to the mass of component B is a:b. Alternatively, it can mean that the mass of component A is aK and the mass of component B is bK (where K is any number representing a multiplier). It is important to understand that, unlike parts by mass, the sum of the mass parts of all components is not limited to 100 parts.

[0021] "And / or" is used to indicate that one or both of the described situations may occur, for example, A and / or B includes (A and B) and (A or B).

[0022] This application provides a method for beneficiation and desliming of spodumene ore, comprising: The spodumene ore, water, and modifier are mixed and ground to obtain raw ore slurry; The raw ore slurry undergoes a primary cyclone desliming process to obtain primary sediment and primary overflow. The primary overflow undergoes secondary cyclone desliming to obtain secondary sedimentation and secondary overflow; The modifiers include hydrolyzed polymaleic anhydride and sodium tripolyphosphate.

[0023] In some embodiments, the grinding to a fineness of -0.074 mm accounts for 60%-85%.

[0024] Optionally, grinding to a fineness of -0.074 mm can account for any value between 60%, 65%, 70%, 75%, 80%, 85%, or 60%-85%.

[0025] In some embodiments, the mass ratio of the hydrolyzed polymaleic anhydride to the sodium tripolyphosphate in the modifier is (5-10):1.

[0026] Optionally, the mass ratio of hydrolyzed polymaleic anhydride to sodium tripolyphosphate in the modifier can be any value between 5:1, 6:1, 7:1, 8:1, 9:1, 10:1 or (5-10):1.

[0027] It is worth noting that when the mass ratio of hydrolyzed polymaleic anhydride to sodium tripolyphosphate is (5-10):1, the two substances work more effectively to synergistically disperse the sludge, achieving efficient dispersion and making it easier to separate the sludge from spodumene during the cyclone desliming process. This not only improves desliming efficiency but also reduces energy consumption and costs.

[0028] In some embodiments, the dosage of the modifier is 100g / t raw ore to 500g / t raw ore.

[0029] Optionally, the dosage of the modifier can be any value between 100 g / t raw ore, 150 g / t raw ore, 200 g / t raw ore, 250 g / t raw ore, 300 g / t raw ore, 350 g / t raw ore, 400 g / t raw ore, 450 g / t raw ore, 500 g / t raw ore, or 100 g / t raw ore to 500 g / t raw ore.

[0030] In some embodiments, the mass concentration of the raw ore slurry is 10%-26%.

[0031] Optionally, the mass concentration of the raw ore slurry can be any value between 10%, 12%, 14%, 16%, 18%, 20%, 22%, 24%, 26%, or 10%-26%.

[0032] In some embodiments, the feed pressure of the primary cyclone is 0.05 MPa-0.10 MPa.

[0033] Optionally, the feed pressure of the primary cyclone can be any value between 0.05MPa, 0.06MPa, 0.07MPa, 0.08MPa, 0.09MPa, 0.10MPa or 0.05MPa-0.10MPa.

[0034] It is worth noting that when the feed pressure of the first-stage hydrocyclone is 0.05MPa-0.10MPa, the appropriate pressure can ensure the formation of a stable swirling field inside the hydrocyclone, enabling effective separation of slime and spodumene in the slurry. When the pressure is too low, the swirling field may not be stable enough, resulting in poor desliming effect; while excessive pressure may disrupt the stability of the swirling field, also affecting the desliming effect.

[0035] In some embodiments, the feed pressure of the secondary cyclone is 0.08 MPa-0.13 MPa.

[0036] Optionally, the feed pressure of the secondary cyclone can be any value between 0.08MPa, 0.09MPa, 0.10MPa, 0.11MPa, 0.12MPa, 0.13MPa or 0.08MPa-0.13MPa.

[0037] It is worth noting that when the feed pressure of the secondary hydrocyclone is between 0.08 MPa and 0.13 MPa, the stability of the internal flow field of the hydrocyclone is ensured, and the flushing water can be more evenly distributed inside the hydrocyclone, thereby effectively removing fine-grained mud and impurities from the slurry. This not only allows the hydrocyclone to maintain a relatively constant operating state, which is conducive to achieving a continuous desliming process, but also ensures the stability of the enrichment effect. When the feed pressure is controlled within the range of 0.08 MPa to 0.13 MPa, the working state of the secondary hydrocyclone is relatively stable, which is conducive to achieving a continuous and stable desliming and enrichment process.

[0038] Understandably, this application uses a two-stage series hydrocyclone desliming system to separate coarse particles with different settling coefficients and buoyancy densities from sludge. When slurry or liquid containing mud undergoes hydrocyclone desliming, the density difference between solid particles of different sizes and liquids causes them to be subjected to different centrifugal forces due to the centrifugal force. The first-stage hydrocyclone desliming and the second-stage hydrocyclone desliming are optimized for specific particle size and density ranges, thereby achieving efficient removal of mud across the entire particle size range.

[0039] In some embodiments, the primary and secondary sediments are feed for spodumene flotation.

[0040] The implementation schemes of this application will be described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments. However, those skilled in the art will understand that the following embodiments are only for illustrating this application and should not be regarded as limiting the scope of this application. Unless otherwise specified in the embodiments, conventional conditions or conditions recommended by the manufacturer shall apply. Reagents or instruments used without specified manufacturers are all conventional products that can be purchased commercially.

[0041] Example 1 This embodiment provides a method for beneficiation and desliming of spodumene ore, the process flow of which is as follows: Figure 1 As shown, it includes: The spodumene ore in question is specifically from a spodumene ore mine in Sichuan Province, with a Li₂O content of 1.25%. Lithium spodumene ore and 200g / t of modifier are mixed and ground until the fineness of -0.074mm accounts for 70%, and then a raw ore slurry with a mass concentration of 24% is prepared. The mass ratio of hydrolyzed polymaleic anhydride and sodium tripolyphosphate in the modifier is 6:1. The raw ore slurry enters the first-stage hydrocyclone for desliming. The feed pressure is 0.06 MPa, resulting in first-stage grit and first-stage overflow. The first-stage overflow is also first-stage ore slime. The primary overflow enters the secondary hydrocyclone for further desliming. The feed pressure is 0.09 MPa, resulting in secondary grit and secondary overflow. The secondary overflow is discharged into the tailings dam and is also secondary slime. The primary and secondary grit are combined and used as feed for spodumene flotation.

[0042] Example 2 This embodiment provides a method for beneficiation and desliming of spodumene ore, including: The spodumene ore in question is specifically from a spodumene ore mine in Sichuan Province, with a Li₂O content of 1.18%. Lithium spodumene ore and 300g / t of modifier are mixed and ground until the fineness of -0.074mm accounts for 70%, and then a raw ore slurry with a mass concentration of 24% is prepared. The mass ratio of hydrolyzed polymaleic anhydride and sodium tripolyphosphate in the modifier is 7:1. The raw ore slurry enters the first-stage hydrocyclone for desliming, with a feed pressure of 0.07 MPa, to obtain first-stage grit and first-stage overflow; The primary overflow enters the secondary hydrocyclone for further desliming. The feed pressure is 0.10 MPa, resulting in secondary sediment and secondary overflow. The secondary overflow is discharged into the tailings dam. The primary and secondary sediments obtained are combined and used as feed for spodumene flotation.

[0043] Example 3 This embodiment provides a method for beneficiation and desliming of spodumene ore, including: The spodumene ore in question is specifically from a spodumene ore mine in Sichuan Province, with a Li₂O content of 1.56%. Lithium spodumene ore and 400g / t of modifier are mixed and ground until the fineness of -0.074mm accounts for 80%, and then a raw ore slurry with a mass concentration of 20% is prepared. The mass ratio of hydrolyzed polymaleic anhydride and sodium tripolyphosphate in the modifier is 10:1. The raw ore slurry enters the first-stage hydrocyclone for desliming, with a feed pressure of 0.08 MPa, to obtain first-stage grit and first-stage overflow; The primary overflow enters the secondary hydrocyclone for further desliming. The feed pressure is 0.10 MPa, resulting in secondary sediment and secondary overflow. The secondary overflow is discharged into the tailings dam. The primary and secondary sediments obtained are combined and used as feed for spodumene flotation.

[0044] Comparative Example 1 This comparative example provides a desliming method for spodumene ore beneficiation, employing conventional settling desliming methods, including: The spodumene ore in question is specifically from a spodumene ore mine in Sichuan Province, with a Li₂O content of 1.25%. The spodumene ore is ground to a fineness of -0.074 mm, which accounts for 70%, and then a raw ore slurry with a mass concentration of 10% is prepared. After stirring for 10 minutes and mixing thoroughly, let it stand for 2 minutes. Then, use a siphon to extract the upper layer of suspended slurry to obtain the sludge.

[0045] Comparative Example 2 This comparative example provides a beneficiation and desliming method for spodumene ore. The difference between this comparative example and Example 1 is that no modifier is added, while other conditions are the same as in Example 1.

[0046] Comparative Example 3 This comparative example provides a method for beneficiation and desliming of spodumene ore, including: The spodumene ore in question is specifically from a spodumene ore mine in Sichuan Province, with a Li₂O content of 1.25%. The spodumene ore is ground to a fineness of -0.074 mm, which accounts for 70%, to produce a raw ore slurry with a mass concentration of 24%. Add the raw ore slurry to the flotation machine, add 30g / t of raw ore frother No. 2 oil, stir for 3 minutes, and then float for 5 minutes. The foam product is the ore slime, and the product in the tank is the sediment.

[0047] Comparative Example 4 This comparative example provides a beneficiation and desliming method for spodumene ore. The difference between this comparative example and Example 1 is that the modifier added in this comparative example is hydrolyzed polymaleic anhydride, while the other conditions are the same as in Example 1.

[0048] Comparative Example 5 This comparative example provides a beneficiation and desliming method for spodumene ore. The difference between this comparative example and Example 1 is that the modifier added in this comparative example is sodium tripolyphosphate, while the other conditions are the same as in Example 1.

[0049] Comparative Example 6 This comparative example provides a beneficiation and desliming method for spodumene ore. The difference from Example 1 is that the mass ratio of hydrolyzed polymaleic anhydride and sodium tripolyphosphate in the added modifier in this comparative example is 3:1, while other conditions are the same as in Example 1.

[0050] Comparative Example 7 This comparative example provides a method for desliming spodumene ore, which differs from Example 1 in that: this comparative example only performs desliming using a single-stage hydrocyclone, while other conditions are the same as in Example 1.

[0051] The sediment and sludge obtained from the above embodiments and comparative examples were filtered, dried, weighed, and tested. The specific test results are shown in Table 1.

[0052] Table 1 Data Test

[0053] The test results show that the spodumene ore beneficiation and desliming method provided in this application, when used to deslim spodumene, has a higher yield of desliming material, a lower Li2O grade in the desliming material, and a lower Li2O recovery rate compared to other desliming methods in the comparative example.

[0054] As can be seen from Comparative Example 1, the conventional sedimentation siphon desliming method removes high-grade Li2O from the sludge, but also results in the loss of more Li2O.

[0055] Comparative Example 2 shows that the desliming method without adding modifiers results in a high yield of desliming material, high Li2O grade, and greater loss of Li2O.

[0056] As can be seen from Comparative Example 3, the desliming method with the addition of frother #2 resulted in a high yield of desliming material, high Li2O grade, and a greater loss of Li2O.

[0057] As can be seen from Comparative Example 4, the modifier used was only the hydrolysis of polymaleic anhydride, which had poor dispersion effect, high yield of removed sludge, high Li2O grade, and more Li2O loss.

[0058] As can be seen from Comparative Example 5, the only modifier used was sodium tripolyphosphate, which had poor dispersion effect, high yield of removed sludge, high Li2O grade, and more Li2O loss.

[0059] As shown in Comparative Example 6, the method of using a 3:1 mass ratio of hydrolyzed polymaleic anhydride and sodium tripolyphosphate resulted in a high yield and grade of Li2O removed from the ore slime, but also resulted in a greater loss of Li2O.

[0060] As can be seen from Comparative Example 7, the single-stage hydrocyclone method results in a high yield of removed slime, high Li2O grade, and a greater loss of Li2O.

[0061] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and are not intended to limit them. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some or all of the technical features therein. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application.

[0062] Furthermore, those skilled in the art will understand that although some embodiments herein include certain features included in other embodiments but not others, combinations of features from different embodiments are intended to be within the scope of this application and form different embodiments. For example, in the foregoing claims, any of the claimed embodiments can be used in any combination. The information disclosed in this background section is intended only to enhance the understanding of the general background of this application and should not be construed as an admission or in any way implying that such information constitutes prior art known to those skilled in the art.

Claims

1. A method for beneficiation and desliming of spodumene ore, characterized in that, include: The spodumene ore, water, and modifier are mixed and ground to obtain raw ore slurry; The raw ore slurry undergoes a primary cyclone desliming process to obtain primary sediment and primary overflow. The primary overflow undergoes secondary cyclone desliming to obtain secondary sedimentation and secondary overflow; The modifiers include hydrolyzed polymaleic anhydride and sodium tripolyphosphate; The mass ratio of the hydrolyzed polymaleic anhydride and the sodium tripolyphosphate in the modifier is (5-10):1; The feed pressure of the first-stage cyclone is 0.05MPa-0.10MPa; The feed pressure of the secondary cyclone is 0.08 MPa-0.13 MPa.

2. The beneficiation and desliming method for spodumene ore according to claim 1, characterized in that, The grinding process achieves a fineness of -0.074 mm, with 60%-85% of the particles being ground to that fineness.

3. The beneficiation and desliming method for spodumene ore according to claim 1, characterized in that, The dosage of the modifier is 100g / t raw ore to 500g / t raw ore.

4. The beneficiation and desliming method for spodumene ore according to claim 1, characterized in that, The mass concentration of the raw ore slurry is 10%-26%.

5. The beneficiation and desliming method for spodumene ore according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The primary and secondary sediments are the feed for spodumene flotation. The process involves one roughing, two scavenging, and three concentrate stages to obtain spodumene concentrate.

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