Flash joule heating set to revolutionise lithium extraction
Initial flash joule heating (FJH) tests have shown a 92% reduction in calcination time of spodumene concentrate from a lithium mine compared to conventional processing.
FJH is an advanced processing and recycling technology that is being developed to extract critical metals, including rare earth elements, titanium, nickel, cobalt and lithium from waste material such as lithium-ion batteries, e-waste and coal fly ash.
The process involves the rapid and intense heating of material to directly recover critical metals and make materials more amenable to metal recovery through conventional acid leaching methods.
MTM Critical Metals (ASX: MTM) recently undertook a study to determine whether lithium extraction from the mineral spodumene can be made more efficient, addressing the significant energy demands of current industrial processes.
Due to the refractory nature of spodumene, conventional recovery processes are very energy-intensive and use rotary kilns operating at high temperatures for extended periods.
While it’s essential for rendering spodumene amenable to acid leaching, calcination is the most energy and CO2-intensive step in producing battery-grade lithium and accounts for over 50% of the energy consumption and carbon emissions released.
Samples of spodumene concentrate were flashed and assessed pre and post-flashing to determine the extent of conversion.
In partnership with KnightHawk Engineering, MTM will continue to test spodumene samples to help refine and improve the technology.
MTM has also engaged with a commercial metallurgical laboratory to assess and quantify the effects of the FJH treatment on the downstream leaching of the concentrate. The aim of this is to show that FJH is beneficial over the conventional calcination and acid baking process used for lithium extraction.
MTM chairman John Hannaford commented on the results.
“FJH has the potential to revolutionise lithium refining by significantly enhancing or even eliminating the calcination step, which is crucial for making the mineral spodumene amenable to leaching,” he said.
“While these results are preliminary and un-optimised, they present an exciting path forward for FJG to revolutionise how lithium is extracted in the future.
“Refractory mineral processing presents a formidable challenge and financial burden for the current mining industry and these promising initial tests open the door for MTM to target other critical metals such as rare earths and niobium.”
Future studies will explore the potential of FJH technology to extract lithium from spodumene waste tailings.