Method of Mineral Recovery

Abstract

A process for the selective recovery of lithium values from feedstock is provided. The process includes concentration by one or more of air classification and flotation; selective leaching to remove Mg, Ca or Na formations; and leaching/sonication with an acid. Further, a method of beneficiating a lithium-containing ore is provided treating an aqueous pulp of the lithium-containing ore with a conditioning reagent; and floating, lithium values fraction of the lithium-containing ore from gangue slimes, wherein the treating improves the selectivity of an anionic collector to one or more of spodumene and said lithium values. Further, a process for the selective recovery of lithium from lithium ion batteries is provided.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.