Effect of mechanical activation and thermal treatment on the crystalline phases of spodumene/NaF mixture

Abstract

The mechanical activation was used in mineral processing improving yields in calcination, leaching and dissolution processes. The mechanical grinding added energy to the reacting systems, increasing their reactive surface and generating deformations and defects in the crystalline network of solids. Thus, regions of high reactivity were generated that facilitate the development of chemical processes. Rosales et al (2019) studied the fluorination process of the mineral spodumene in its β phase with NaF. The reaction starts at 540°C generating LiF, nepheline and albite according to Eq (1). 2β-LiAlSi2O6 + 2NaF →2LiF + NaAlSi3O8 + NaAlSiO4 (1)The present work proposes the study of the effect of mechanical activation on the α-spodumene/NaF mixture and its subsequent thermal treatment.