Geometalurgia de pegmatitos litiníferos - análise do comportamento de frente de lavra rica em cristais pequenos de espodumênio no processo de beneficiamento da Companhia Brasileira de Lítio (CBL)

Abstract

Geometallurgy is a multidisciplinary approach that integrates geology, mining and ore beneficiation to optimize exploration, extraction and mineral processing. This study aimed to verify whether the size of spodumene crystals in the mining fronts of the Cachoeira Mine influences their liberation and metallurgical recovery. A region of the Brazilian Lithium Company mine (225 SW), rich in small Spodumene crystals, were mapped, mined and processed apart at the mining plant. The processing steps were primary and secondary crushing, classification by size and concentration by dense medium. During the material processing from the mining front studied, samples were collected for chemical and liberation analysis. The generation of mixed particles was evaluated through the manual collection with the calculation of the liberation by the Gaudin method. It was observed that the 225 SW mining front, due to its large quantity of small crystals, presented a high generation of mixed particles and consequently a low liberation of spodumene in the MI fraction (9,5-19mm). Chemical analyses showed that there was a higher recovery in the MII fraction (9,5-0,85mm), generating a higher quality concentrate and a lower loss of metal to the tailings. This effect is related to a greater liberation of spodumene in this fraction, increasing the recovery in the concentration process.