Characterisation and Metallurgical Testwork of Lithium and Rubidium Ore

DOI

10.2991/978-94-6463-928-5_8How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Li and Rb ore; Spodumene; Petalite; Calcination; Leaching

Abstract

This study investigates the characterization and processing of lithium (Li) and rubidium (Rb) ores from a new deposit using multiple analytical techniques. For mineral characterization, Mineral Liberation Analysis-Scanning Electron Microscopy (MLA-SEM), X-ray Powder Diffraction (XRPD), and X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) were used. Metal quantification was done by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Atomic Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-AES) and Li and Rb concentrations were determined 0.6% and 0.39%, respectively. The presence of fluorine in the ore was detected, hence a calcination process was used to enhance metal extraction and remove fluorine gas. Subsequently, leaching experiments were conducted at various temperatures with diluted sulfuric acid to compare their metal recovery. The study shows that calcination, particularly at 850 ℃, significantly improves minerals alteration, while the choice of leaching ligand influences extraction efficiency. The resulting high-concentration Li and Rb salts indicate potential for further refinement. To enhance the processing method, future work will explore electrodialysis to purify and concentrate the leaching solution, aiming to improve recovery rates and reduce environmental impact. This integrated approach, combining advanced characterization, calcination, and leaching, provides for the efficient extraction of Li and Rb from natural ores, with implications for sustainable resource recovery in the context of increasing global demand for critical metals.

Copyright

© 2025 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Purev-Ochir Togtokhbaatar
AU  - Baasandorj Myagmarsuren
AU  - Battsengel Baatar
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/12/25
TI  - Characterisation and Metallurgical Testwork of Lithium and Rubidium Ore
BT  - Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference Resources and Technology (RESAT 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 88
EP  - 97
SN  - 2352-5401
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6463-928-5_8
DO  - 10.2991/978-94-6463-928-5_8
ID  - Togtokhbaatar2025
ER  -