Leading Scientific-Research Institute of Chemical Technology, Moscow, Russia:

V. Yu. Koltsov, Head of Department of Factory Waste Processing
P. Yu. Novikov, Engineer of Department of Factory Waste Processing

National Research Nuclear University “MEPhI” (Moscow Engineering Physics Institute), Moscow, Russia:

G. A. Sarychev, Head of a Chair of Device and Setting Design
I. G. Tananaev, Professor of a Chair of Device and Setting Design, e-mail: geokhi@mail.ru

Reconstruction of mineral-resource base of Russian lithium industry and meeting the environmental protection requirements at the factory waste storage set a task of consideration of the possibility of processing of Transbaikalia ore-dressing and processing enterprise dumps for the purpose of obtaining of spodumene concentrate and lithium carbonate. The investigations were carried out on the preliminary selected representative off-balance ore sample (mass is 1500 kg, coarseness is –350+0 mm). The main approach to the development of the technology of processing of lithium-beryllium mineral resources is concluded in sulfuric acid opening. Assessment of the influence of planned technological processes on spodumene and other lithium minerals, contained in the researched sample, required the following measures: thermodynamic calculation of spodumene interaction with sulfuric acid; differential-thermal analysis of lithium minerals and spodumene-sulfuric acid and spodumene-potassium sulfate systems; X-ray analysis of the basic lithium minerals and spodumene-sulfuric acid and spodumenepotassium sulfate systems. Starting substances (lithium carriers) and their products of heterogeneous chemical transformations interact with sulfuric acid and potassium sulfate. This is confirmed by the results of thermodynamic calculations of the process of spodumene interaction with sulfuric acid to lithium and leucite sulfate in the temperature range of 0–1000 ^oC. Obtained data will be useful during the choice of the processing technology of these raw materials.
All investigations were carried out within the applied scientific researches. Unique identifier of the project is RFMEFI57814X0050.

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