A process for producing alumina and a lithium salt
AssigneeTianqi Lithium Kwinana Pty Ltd
InventorsYafeng Guo, Hazel Lim
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Abstract
A process for producing alumina and a lithium salt comprising the steps of: (a) calcining an alpha spodumene ore or concentrate to produce beta spodumene; and (b) (I) leaching beta spodumene from the calcining step (a) with an alkaline solution under pressure; or (II) sulphating beta spodumene with at least sodium sulphate and leaching said sulphated beta spodumene to produce a lithium containing solution and a zeolitic residue. The lithium containing solution is treated to provide a purified lithium salt and said zeolitic residue is treated to provide high purity alumina.
Claims25
A process for producing alumina and a lithium salt comprising the steps of:
- (a) calcining an alpha spodumene ore or concentrate to produce beta spodumene;
- and
- (b) (I) leaching beta spodumene from the calcining step (a) with an alkaline solution under pressure;
- or
- (II) sulphating beta spodumene with at least sodium sulphate and leaching said sulphated beta spodumene
- to produce a lithium containing solution and a zeolitic residue wherein said lithium containing solution is treated to provide a purified lithium salt and said zeolitic residue is treated to provide alumina.
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A process for converting aluminium chloride hexahydrate (ACH) to a phase alumina comprising the steps of:
- (a) crystallising ACH and dissolving ACH in water;
- (b) neutralising the ACH solution with an alkaline solution to form boehmite (AlOOH);
- (c) separating the boehmite;
- (d) roasting the boehmite to form amorphous alumina or γ-alumina;
- and
- (e) calcining the alumina obtained from step (d) to form high purity alumina (α-alumina phase).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.