Mineralogical analysis and beneficiation assessment to unlock the lithium potential in Kenticha pegmatite ore

• Autorzy: Mekonen Gutema , Sisay Mulugeta , Gebreyohannes Goitom

Identyfikatory

DOI

10.46873/2300-3960.1440

• Języki publikacji: EN

Abstrakty

EN

Lithium is utilized in various industries, especially currently Lithium-ion batteries are employed in electric vehicles and portable electronic devices as an energy source, in pharmaceutical industries, aerospace applications, glass and ceramics production, lubricants and greases, air purification systems, nuclear power, and aluminum production. The Kenticha pegmatite ore deposit in Ethiopia holds potential, and this study analyzed the mineralization of Kenticha spodumene ore and assessed its suitability for beneficiation by employing X-ray diffraction (XRD), Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS), and petrographic microscope analysis. The study determined the mineral composition, average composition, and texture of spodumene pegmatite ore for spodumene concentrate liberation. Based on this, spodumene was determined to be the most abundant mineral, with weight percentages ranging from 13.7% to 50.2% across different ore samples. The grain size distribution analysis indicated that the majority of spodumene particles were larger than 63 μm, with a notable proportion falling between 106 μm and 600 μm. Estimated grain sizes included approximately 210 μm (D50), 97 μm (D75), 63 μm (D100), and 80 μm (P70). These findings offer valuable insights into the particle size characteristics of spodumene, enabling the optimization of mineral processing techniques and the selection of appropriate beneficiation strategies for the Kenticha deposit.

Słowa kluczowe

EN

beneficiary; lithium; mineralogy; liberation; pegmatite; spodumene

PL

beneficjent; lit; mineralogia; uwolnienie; pegmatyt; spodumen

• Wydawca: Elsevier ; Główny Instytut Górnictwa
• Czasopismo: Journal of Sustainable Mining
• Rocznik: 2025
• Tom: Vol. 24, iss. 1
• Strony: 76--88
• Opis fizyczny: Bibliogr. 20 poz.

Twórcy

autor

Mekonen Gutema

• Mineral Industry Development Institute, Ministry of Mines, P.O. Box 486, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

• https://orcid.org/0009-0002-5184-8602

autor

Sisay Mulugeta

• School of Materials Science and Engineering, Jimma Institute of Technology, Jimma University, P.O BOX 378, Jimma, Ethiopia

• https://orcid.org/0009-0007-3574-3516

autor

Gebreyohannes Goitom

• Department of Chemistry, College of Natural and Computational Sciences, Mekelle University, P.O Box 231, Mekelle, Ethiopia

• https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1308-3282

Bibliografia

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Uwagi

Opracowanie rekordu ze środków MNiSW, umowa nr POPUL/SP/0154/2024/02 w ramach programu "Społeczna odpowiedzialność nauki II" - moduł: Popularyzacja nauki (2025).