Spodumene and tantalum-niobium metal separation system based on reselection process

Abstract

The invention discloses a spodumene and tantalum-niobium metal separation system based on a reselection process, and relates to the technical field of mineral processing, the spodumene and tantalum-niobium metal separation system is technically characterized by comprising a crushing system, an ore grinding system, a grading system, a reselection system, a control system and a collection and post-treatment system, the crushing system is used for crushing spodumene raw ore to a particle size range of-20mm; and the ore grinding system is used for grinding the crushed ore until the particle size is-0.5 mm. According to the invention, by optimizing the crushing, ore grinding, grading and reselection process parameters, the recovery rate of tantalum and niobium metals is remarkably improved, the recovery rate is also improved, efficient resource utilization is realized, the use of chemical reagents is reduced, the cost and the environmental pollution risk are reduced, and the economic benefit is increased. Meanwhile, the technological process is simplified through a physical separation method, resource circulation and sustainable environment protection are achieved through comprehensive utilization of tailings, and the method is high in adaptability, can treat various complex ores and has wide application prospects in the spodumene mineral separation industry.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of mineral processing, and in particular to a spodumene and tantalum-niobium metal separation system based on a gravity separation process. Background Art

[0002] Spodumene, known as the "golden key" to new energy and high-tech industries, is a vital lithium ore resource that occupies a pivotal position in global mineral resources. In the complex and delicate lithium extraction process, spodumene is not only rich in lithium, but also often accompanied by tantalum, niobium and other rare metals that also have extremely high economic value. These associated tantalum and niobium metals, with their unique physical and chemical properties, have demonstrated irreplaceable application value in many high-tech fields such as electronics, aerospace, and nuclear industry.

[0003] However, traditional separation technologies face many challenges. Although chemical methods can achieve a certain degree of separation, they are not only costly but also prone to environmental pollution. Physical separation methods, such as some traditional gravity separation and magnetic separation technologies, have strict requirements on the grade and properties of ore, poor adaptability, and difficulty in ensuring efficient separation, resulting in low recovery rates of tantalum and niobium metals and waste of resources. Therefore, the market urgently needs an efficient, low-cost, environmentally friendly and adaptable separation technology to optimize the recovery efficiency of tantalum and niobium metals and reduce production costs. Summary of the invention

[0004] In view of the shortcomings of the prior art, the present invention aims to provide a spodumene and tantalum niobium metal separation system based on a gravity separation process. The system optimizes the crushing, grinding, classification and gravity separation process parameters to achieve efficient, low-cost and environmentally friendly separation of tantalum niobium metal in spodumene, improve the recovery rate of tantalum niobium metal, reduce production costs, reduce environmental pollution, and realize the comprehensive utilization of resources.

[0005] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present invention provides the following technical solutions: a spodumene and tantalum-niobium metal separation system based on a gravity separation process, comprising a crushing system, a grinding system, a grading system, a gravity separation system, a control system, and a collection and post-processing system, wherein the crushing system is used to crush the spodumene ore to a particle size range of -20 mm; the grinding system is used to grind the crushed ore to a particle size of -0.5 mm; the grading system is used to classify the slurry after grinding into different particle sizes; the gravity separation system is used to sort the classified ore particles to obtain tantalum-niobium concentrate and tailings; the control system is used to monitor and automatically adjust the entire separation process in real time; the collection and post-processing system is used to collect the tantalum-niobium concentrate and perform subsequent processing.

[0006] Preferably, the crushing system comprises a crusher and a vibrating screen, wherein the crusher is used for coarse and fine crushing of the spodumene ore, and the vibrating screen is used for screening the crushed ore to obtain ore particles of suitable particle size.

[0007] Preferably, the grinding system comprises a ball mill and grinding media, the ball mill is used to grind the crushed ore, and the grinding media is used to assist the grinding process and improve the grinding efficiency.

[0008] Preferably, the grading system comprises a hydrocyclone and a grading screen, wherein the hydrocyclone is used to perform preliminary grading on the ore pulp after grinding, and the grading screen is used to further screen the ore pulp after grading by the hydrocyclone to obtain minerals of different particle sizes.

[0009] Preferably, the gravity separation system comprises a felt machine and a shaking table, wherein the felt machine is used to pre-enrich the coarse-grained minerals after classification, and the shaking table is used to further sort the pre-enriched minerals to obtain high-purity tantalum-niobium concentrate.

[0010] Preferably, the control system includes a sensor, a controller and an actuator, the sensor is used to detect parameters of each link in real time, the controller is used to perform automatic adjustments based on data detected by the sensor, and the actuator is used to execute the adjustment instructions of the controller.

[0011] Preferably, the collection and post-processing system includes a collection device and an extraction device, the collection device is used to collect the tantalum-niobium concentrate obtained after gravity separation, and the extraction device is used to perform subsequent processing on the collected tantalum-niobium concentrate to extract high-purity tantalum-niobium metal.

[0012] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0013] 1. The present invention effectively improves the recovery rate of tantalum and niobium metals by optimizing the process parameters of crushing, grinding, classification and re-selection. Compared with the conventional technology, the recovery rate of the present invention is not limited to more than 0.001%. In a specific embodiment, when processing the ore of a spodumene mine, the recovery rate can reach 0.003% based on the tantalum and niobium content in the original ore, realizing the efficient recovery of tantalum and niobium metals and greatly improving the resource utilization rate.

[0014] 2. The present invention reduces the use of chemical reagents, avoids high chemical treatment costs, simplifies the process flow, and reduces energy consumption and labor costs. Through the physical sorting method, especially the optimization of the gravity separation process, the present invention achieves low-cost and efficient separation, bringing significant economic benefits to the spodumene beneficiation industry.

[0015] 3. Traditional chemical methods often produce a large amount of wastewater and waste residue when treating spodumene, which has a serious impact on the environment. The present invention adopts a physical sorting method to reduce the discharge of chemical reagents and reduce the risk of environmental pollution. At the same time, through the comprehensive utilization or environmental protection treatment of tailings, the recycling of resources and sustainable protection of the environment are achieved.

[0016] 4. The present invention has strong adaptability to spodumene ores of different grades and properties, and can process a variety of complex ore types. This wide adaptability makes the present invention have broad application prospects in the spodumene beneficiation industry, which can not only meet the separation needs of existing mines, but also provide efficient and environmentally friendly separation solutions for newly discovered spodumene resources in the future. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 This is a functional module block diagram of the spodumene and tantalum-niobium metal separation system based on the gravity separation process of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 2 It is a schematic structural diagram of a spodumene and tantalum-niobium metal separation system based on a gravity separation process of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 3 The figure is a schematic flow diagram of a spodumene and tantalum-niobium metal separation system based on a gravity separation process of the present invention.

[0020] In the figure:

[0021] 1. Crushing system; 11. Crusher; 12. Vibrating screen;

[0022] 2. Grinding system; 21. Ball mill; 22. Grinding medium;

[0023] 3. Classification system; 31. Hydrocyclone; 32. Classification screen;

[0024] 4. Reselection system; 41. Blanket machine; 42. Shaking table;

[0025] 5. Control system; 51. Sensor; 52. Controller; 53. Actuator;

[0026] 6. Collection and post-processing system; 61. Collection device; 62. Extraction device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] In the present invention, unless otherwise specified, the directions used, such as "up" and "down", usually refer to the directions shown in the drawings, or to the vertical, perpendicular or gravity directions; similarly, for ease of understanding and description, "left" and "right" usually refer to the left and right shown in the drawings; "inside" and "outside" refer to the inside and outside relative to the outline of each component itself, but the above-mentioned directions are not used to limit the present invention.

[0028] See also Figures 1 to 3 The spodumene and tantalum-niobium metal separation system based on the gravity separation process is characterized in that it includes a crushing system 1, a grinding system 2, a grading system 3, a gravity separation system 4, a control system 5, and a collection and post-processing system 6. The crushing system 1 is used to crush the spodumene ore to a particle size range of -20 mm; the grinding system 2 is used to grind the crushed ore to a particle size of -0.5 mm; the grading system 3 is used to divide the slurry after grinding into different particle sizes; the gravity separation system 4 is used to sort the classified ore particles to obtain tantalum-niobium concentrate and tailings; the control system 5 is used to monitor and automatically adjust the entire separation process in real time; the collection and post-processing system 6 is used to collect the tantalum-niobium concentrate and perform subsequent processing.

[0029] Furthermore, the crushing system 1 includes a crusher 11 and a vibrating screen 12. The crusher 11 is used for coarse and fine crushing of the spodumene ore, and the vibrating screen 12 is used for screening the crushed ore to obtain ore particles of suitable size. The crusher 11 performs preliminary coarse crushing and further fine crushing on the spodumene ore to reduce large pieces of ore to a smaller particle size range. Then the vibrating screen 12 screens the crushed ore to screen out ore particles of suitable size, ensuring that the ore entering the subsequent grinding system has a uniform particle size, which is beneficial to improving the grinding efficiency and classification effect, and laying a solid foundation for the efficient operation of the entire separation process and the high-value utilization of resources.

[0030] Furthermore, the grinding system 2 includes a ball mill 21 and a grinding medium 22. The ball mill 21 is used to grind the crushed ore, and the grinding medium 22 is used to assist the grinding process and improve the grinding efficiency. The ball mill 21 grinds the crushed ore and uses the grinding medium 22 such as steel balls, steel rods or ceramic balls to assist in grinding, thereby improving the grinding efficiency and refining the ore particle size to -0.5mm, so that tantalum niobium minerals can be better separated from other minerals such as spodumene, providing favorable conditions for subsequent re-selection operations, thereby improving the efficiency of the entire separation process and the purity of the tantalum niobium concentrate, while reducing the mineral muddling phenomenon caused by over-grinding, ensuring the efficient and stable operation of the system.

[0031] Furthermore, the grading system 3 includes a hydrocyclone 31 and a grading screen 32. The hydrocyclone 31 is used to perform preliminary grading on the ore pulp after grinding, and the grading screen 32 is used to further screen the ore pulp after the hydrocyclone classification to obtain minerals of different particle sizes. The hydrocyclone 31 performs preliminary grading on the ore pulp after grinding to remove larger particles and impurities, and then uses the grading screen 32 to perform more fine screening on the ore pulp after the hydrocyclone classification to obtain mineral particles of different particle sizes.

[0032] Furthermore, the gravity separation system 4 includes a felt machine 41 and a shaking table 42. The felt machine 41 is used to pre-enrich the coarse-grained minerals after classification, and the shaking table 42 is used to further sort the pre-enriched minerals to obtain high-purity tantalum-niobium concentrate. The felt machine 41 pre-enriches the coarse-grained minerals after classification, and preliminarily separates the minerals rich in tantalum and niobium. Then, the shaking table 42 is used to perform more fine sorting on the pre-enriched minerals. According to the difference in mineral density, under the action of water flow and bed vibration, the tantalum-niobium minerals are further enriched at the concentrate end, thereby obtaining a high-purity tantalum-niobium concentrate. This process effectively improves the recovery rate and concentrate quality of tantalum-niobium metals, and plays a key role in achieving efficient separation of spodumene and tantalum-niobium metals.

[0033] Furthermore, the control system 5 includes a sensor 51, a controller 52 and an actuator 53. The sensor 51 is used to detect the parameters of each link in real time, the controller 52 is used to automatically adjust according to the data detected by the sensor, and the actuator 53 is used to execute the adjustment instructions of the controller. The sensor 51 detects the key parameters of each link such as crushing, grinding, classification, and reselection in real time. The controller 52 analyzes and processes the data fed back by the sensor 51, and automatically adjusts the operating status of each system accordingly to ensure that the entire separation process is in the optimal working condition. Then the actuator 53 accurately executes the adjustment instructions of the controller and quickly adjusts the system parameters. This process realizes the intelligent monitoring and precise adjustment of the entire separation process, significantly improves the separation efficiency and product quality, and plays a vital role in ensuring the stable and efficient operation of the system.

[0034] Furthermore, the collection and post-processing system 6 includes a collection device 61 and an extraction device 62. The collection device 61 is used to collect the tantalum-niobium concentrate obtained after gravity separation, and the extraction device 62 is used to perform subsequent processing on the collected tantalum-niobium concentrate to extract high-purity tantalum-niobium metal. The collection device 61 effectively gathers the tantalum-niobium-rich concentrate after gravity separation, and then the extraction device 62 performs deep processing on these concentrates to refine high-purity tantalum-niobium metal. This process not only ensures the efficient recovery of tantalum-niobium concentrate, but also improves the purity of the metal through subsequent processing, providing high-quality raw materials for the further application of tantalum-niobium metal, and plays a key role in realizing the high-value utilization of resources.

[0035] Working principle:

[0036] This technology crushes the raw ore to a certain particle size, and then undergoes a gravity separation process to finally obtain a tantalum-niobium concentrate product. Specifically: the crushing system 1 first crushes the spodumene ore containing tantalum-niobium metal with a crusher 11, crushes it to a suitable particle size range, and screens it with a vibrating screen 12, such as -20mm. This step prepares for the subsequent grinding operation, making the ore particles smaller, which is conducive to the dissociation of useful minerals. The grinding system 2 uses a ball mill 21 and a grinding medium 22 (steel balls, steel rods or ceramic balls, selected according to the type of spodumene) to grind the crushed ore to a certain particle size, such as -0.5mm. During the grinding process, the grinding concentration, time and other parameters are strictly controlled to ensure that the tantalum-niobium minerals are dissociated from other minerals such as spodumene as much as possible, while avoiding over-grinding and causing mineral muddling. The grading system 3 divides the ore pulp after grinding into different particle sizes through the hydrocyclone 31 and the grading screen 32 grading equipment. Appropriate grading helps minerals of different particle sizes enter the corresponding gravity separation equipment, thereby improving the gravity separation effect.

[0037] The gravity separation system 4 uses a blanket machine 41 and a shaking table 42 gravity separation equipment to separate the classified ore particles. According to the density difference between tantalum-niobium minerals and minerals such as spodumene, the tantalum-niobium minerals are enriched in a specific area, such as the concentrate end of the shaking table 42, under the action of water flow and bed vibration. The control system 5 monitors and automatically adjusts the entire separation process in real time to ensure that the parameters of each link are in the optimal state, thereby improving the separation efficiency and product quality.

[0038] The collection and post-processing system 6 will collect the tantalum-niobium concentrate obtained after gravity separation, and further carry out subsequent processing to extract high-purity tantalum-niobium metal; the tailings will be used for other comprehensive utilization or environmental protection treatment.

[0039] The spodumene and tantalum-niobium metal separation system based on gravity separation technology combines the process characteristics of each link such as crushing, grinding, classification and gravity separation, and optimizes the design of the entire process to achieve the separation goals of high efficiency, low cost and environmental protection.

[0040] Embodiment 1:

[0041] The ore of a spodumene mine has a tantalum-niobium content of 0.0124% tantalum and 0.0076% niobium. The spodumene and tantalum-niobium metal separation system based on the gravity separation process of the present invention is used for processing. First, the ore is crushed to -20mm, then ground to -0.5mm, and after classification, felt machine pre-enrichment and shaking table gravity separation, the tantalum-niobium content of the final tantalum-niobium concentrate reaches 2% (relative to the original ore content), and the recovery rate reaches 0.003% (calculated based on the tantalum-niobium content in the original ore).

[0042] It can be seen from the above embodiments that the spodumene and tantalum-niobium metal separation system based on the gravity separation process described in the present invention can achieve the separation goals of high efficiency, low cost and environmental protection, and has significant technical effects and economic benefits.

[0043] The above are only specific embodiments of the present invention, but the technical features of the present invention are not limited thereto. Any simple changes, equivalent replacements or modifications made based on the present invention to solve basically the same technical problems and achieve basically the same technical effects are all included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A spodumene and tantalum-niobium metal separation system based on gravity separation process, characterized in that: It includes a crushing system, a grinding system, a grading system, a gravity separation system, a control system, and a collection and post-processing system. The crushing system is used to crush the spodumene ore to a particle size range of -20mm; the grinding system is used to grind the crushed ore to a particle size of -0.5mm; the grading system is used to separate the slurry after grinding into different particle sizes; the gravity separation system is used to separate the graded ore particles to obtain tantalum-niobium concentrate and tailings; the control system is used to monitor and automatically adjust the entire separation process in real time; the collection and post-processing system is used to collect the tantalum-niobium concentrate and carry out subsequent processing.

2. The spodumene and tantalum-niobium metal separation system based on the gravity separation process according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The crushing system comprises a crusher and a vibrating screen, wherein the crusher is used for coarse and fine crushing of spodumene ore, and the vibrating screen is used for screening the crushed ore to obtain ore particles of suitable particle size.

3. The spodumene and tantalum-niobium metal separation system based on the gravity separation process according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The grinding system comprises a ball mill and a grinding medium. The ball mill is used to grind the crushed ore, and the grinding medium is used to assist the grinding process and improve the grinding efficiency.

4. The spodumene and tantalum-niobium metal separation system based on the gravity separation process according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The grading system comprises a hydrocyclone and a grading screen, wherein the hydrocyclone is used for preliminarily grading the ore pulp after grinding, and the grading screen is used for further screening the ore pulp after grading by the hydrocyclone to obtain minerals of different particle sizes.

5. The spodumene and tantalum-niobium metal separation system based on the gravity separation process according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The gravity separation system includes a felt machine and a shaking table. The felt machine is used to pre-enrich the classified coarse-grained minerals, and the shaking table is used to further sort the pre-enriched minerals to obtain high-purity tantalum-niobium concentrates.

6. The spodumene and tantalum-niobium metal separation system based on gravity separation process according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The control system includes a sensor, a controller and an actuator. The sensor is used to detect parameters of each link in real time, the controller is used to perform automatic adjustments based on data detected by the sensor, and the actuator is used to execute the adjustment instructions of the controller.

7. The spodumene and tantalum-niobium metal separation system based on gravity separation process according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The collection and post-processing system includes a collection device and an extraction device. The collection device is used to collect the tantalum-niobium concentrate obtained after gravity separation, and the extraction device is used to perform subsequent processing on the collected tantalum-niobium concentrate to extract high-purity tantalum-niobium metal.

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