Analysis of a spodumene ore in regard of its processability by dry processing

On behalf of European Lithium, the spodumene ore at the Koralm in Carinthia/Austria was tested for its processibility by a dry process. The core sorting method is electrostatic separation. Tests were conducted on the pegmatite dykes only, which were categorized into two different types and tested separately. The electrostatic separation tests were conducted on two different size classes. The size class -315 +60 μm was tested on a free-fall separator and the size class -60 μm was tested on an electrostatic belt separator. To compare the energy effort and liberation behaviour, comminution tests were conducted in two different ways. By energy optimized comminution, using laboratory equipment (jaw crushers, rod mills) and by grinding in a vertical roller mill. Selected size classes of the energy optimized comminution’s products were used for a raw material analysis