LITHIUM GRAPHITE REEs
Fuelling technology
With ever increasing demand for graphite, rare earths and lithium in key markets such as electronics; hybrid electric vehicles and rare earth magnets, Paul Moore looks at some key processing and technology developments
Starting in Australia’ s hard rock lithium industry, GEA has received a large order from MSP Engineering Pty Ltd, to equip a new, ultra-modern facility for Tianqi Lithium Australia Pty Ltd for the production and processing of lithium. In detail, GEA will supply and install evaporation, crystallisation and drying technology for the plant in Kwinana, 38 km south of Perth, Western Australia. The installation is planned for 2017.
The Tianqi Lithium Corporation, which controls a majority stake in the Talison Greenbushes mine, the world ' s premier producer of lithium concentrate from spodumene, is building a downstream processing plant for lithium hydroxide. The plant will convert around 161,000 t / y of spodumene concentrate into 24,000 t of lithium hydroxide, for use in the growing global market for lithium ion batteries.
After completing extensive and successful test work at GEA facilities in Europe the scope includes engineering design, fabrication, testing and commissioning of the key process equipment to produce a pure lithium hydroxide monohydrate( LiOH. H 2O), including packaging, with a byproduct of dried sodium sulphate.
GEA has received a large order from MSP Engineering Pty Ltd, to equip a new, ultramodern facility for Tianqi Lithium Australia Pty Ltd for the production and processing of lithium
“ In the area of lithium processing, GEA has extensive experience in the realisation of such systems for which we offer a very large technology portfolio covering the entire chain of lithium production. In addition to the components ordered here, this also includes the spray drying area of lithium, where GEA has a very large market share worldwide,” said Niels Erik Olsen, Member of GEA’ s Management Board and responsible for Business Area Solutions. Moving to Brazil, Outotec and Advanced Metallurgical Group NV( AMG) have agreed on the delivery of a lithium beneficiation plant to AMG ' s Mibra mine site in the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Outotec’ s order value, booked in its fourth quarter 2016 order intake, exceeds € 35 million.
Outotec has been AMG’ s partner for development of this project through various
Small scale Jameson Cells are ideal for graphite circuits, particularly for producing final grade concentrate
study stages. Outotec’ s scope of delivery comprises the technology, engineering, delivery, construction, commissioning and start-up of the plant, which will produce 90,000 t / y of lithium concentrate used further downstream to produce lithium carbonate equivalent( LCE) to be used in batteries for the car and other industries. The plant is expected to be operational in the first half of 2018.
“ We are pleased to be AMG’ s trusted partner for the delivery of this lithium concentrator solution, combining our vast process knowledge, proprietary equipment and EPC delivery capabilities in Brazil. The new plant will be fed with tailings from an existing plant, which makes the project highly environmentally friendly and resource efficient,” comments Taneli Salervo, Head of Outotec’ s Minerals Processing business unit.
Lepidico Ltd announced in November 2016 that it had signed an MoU with unlisted public company Argo Metals Group Ltd that contemplates the
54 International Mining | JANUARY 2017