Process Route Design for Upgrading Zankan Lithium Ore toward Lithium-Ion Battery Production

Abstract

Lithium is a vital industrial mineral used in ceramics, glass, batteries, and grease. Despite Nigeria’s abundant lithium deposits, many remain underutilized due to limited beneficiation research targeted at lithium-ion battery production. This research involved the chemical, physical, and mineralogical characterization of the raw head sample of Zankan lithium ore. Comminution assessment was carried out to determine the liberation size and work index. Chemical analysis of the head sample was conducted using Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (AAS) and X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF), followed by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) to establish the mineral phases present. The ore was concentrated via froth flotation using palm kernel oil as a collector, sodium silicate as a depressant, pine oil as a frother, and Na2CO3 and H2SO4 to maintain a pH of 9.5. Chemical analysis revealed that the head sample contains 2.04% Li2O. The primary lithium-bearing minerals identified were spodumene (13%), amblygonite (13%), and lepidolite (9%). The economic liberation size and Bond work index were determined to be 125 µm and 12.2 kWh/t, respectively. Flotation yielded a concentrate containing 3.36% Li2O (composed of 16% spodumene and 4% amblygonite) with a lithium recovery of 73%, a concentration ratio of 0.8, and an enrichment ratio of 1.7. The optimum flotation parameters were determined to be 125 µm particle size, 5 minutes conditioning time, and a pH of 9.5. Pre-concentration via magnetic and gravity methods prior to flotation is recommended to enhance operational efficiency.