Spodumene lepidolite is a metallic mineral that has numerous industrial and commercial applications. In fact, it's the most important ore of spodumene on earth. However, mining spodumene lepidolite is not an easy task. In order to extract this valuable mineral, you have to go through a lengthy process that starts with mining. In this post, we will explore the mining process for spodumene lepidolite from mining to the finished product. From there, you will learn about the various steps involved in getting this mineral out of the ground.
What is Spodumene Lepidolite?
Spodumene lepidolite is a rare mineral found in two types of deposits: pegmatitic and biotite-schist. Pegmatitic deposits are located within granites and other rocks while biotite-schist deposits are found on the surface.
Mining for spodumene lepidolite begins with identifying the deposit. Once the deposit has been identified, a mining plan must be created to extract the mineral. This includes determining how much ore is available and where it is located. Mine openings must also be prepared before mining can begin.
Once the mining operation begins, explosives are used to break up the rock. The broken pieces are then removed using shovels, buckets, or draglines. Afterward, the ore is loaded onto trucks and transported to a processing plant. Here, the ore is crushed into small pieces and heated until it liquefies. This liquid form of spodumene lepidolite is called "tailings".
The final product from mining for spodumene lepidolite consists of crushed rocks, liquid tailings, and processed minerals such as gold, silver, copper, bronze, lead, zinc, and nickel.
Where is spodumene lepidolite mined?
Spodumene lepidolite is mined from a variety of sources, including copper and gold mines. The ore is first processed to remove valuable metals, before being crushed and milled into small pieces. This process is then repeated until the spodumene lepidolite has been reduced to a powder.
After the spodumene lepidolite has been processed and crushed, it is transported to a plant where it will be cleaned and smelted down into its component minerals. This includes spodumene, ilmenite, rutile, and zirconium. The minerals are then ground together and heated until they reach a high enough temperature to melt them together. Once melted, the mixture is poured into an ingot shape and cooled down quickly so that it can be cut into pieces that conform to specific dimensions.
The mining process for spodumene lepidolite starts with the excavation of a pit or quarry. The ore is then crushed and screened to get the desired pieces of rock. Following this, a plant is used to separate the gangue (non-metal minerals) from the lepidolite crystals. Next, a furnace is used to heat the rocks until they turn into liquid form. This liquid is then poured onto a large slag heap where it cools and crystallizes.
Mining process for spodumene lepidolite from mining to the finished product involves removing earth and rock using various equipment and techniques. 78% of the ore is extracted through underground methods while 22% is extracted by open-pit methods. The ore is then crushed and milled into smaller pieces before being heated and treated with sulfuric acid to dissolve the minerals. The resulting liquid is then distilled to extract the lepidolite crystals.
The mining process for spodumene lepidolite begins with the exploration and acquisition of mineral rights. Mining companies then use a variety of methods to extract the mineral from the ground, including open pit, underground, and aerial prospecting. Once a company has located an economically viable deposit, it begins the process of extracting the spodumene lepidolite by either surface or underground mining.
Once the spodumene lepidolite has been extracted from the ground, it must be processed and transported to a processing plant where it will be crushed and refined into its final form. The processed material is then shipped to market where it can be used in various products, such as jewelry and eyewear.
