D. Serikbayev East Kazakhstan State Technical University, Ust-Kamenogorsk, Republic of Kazakhstan:

Zh. S. Onalbaeva, Doctoral Candidate, e-mail: zhanara-05@mail.ru
V. I. Samoylov, Assistant Professor
N. A. Kulenova, Head of a Chair “Chemistry, Metallurgy and Concentration”
N. A. Baygazova, Assistant Professor of a Chair “Information Systems”

Ural Federal University named after first President of Russia B. N. Yeltsin, Ekaterinburg, Russia:

V. I. Zelenin, Professor of a Chair “Rare Metals and Nanomaterials”

In fact, natural -modification of spodumene doesn’t react with sulfuric acid. Reactive capability of spodumene can be increased by its decrepitation or by alkaline decomposition, using melting with fluxes. This article considers one of well-known methods of increasing of spodumene reactive capacity before its opening by sulfuric acid, which is reached by spodumene fusion with sodium carbonate. Result of such activating preparation of spodumene is disrupting of its crystal latitude. Following cooling of fusion cake with cold water leads to its granulation. Thus, obtained fusion cake-granulate can be deeply and quickly opened by sulfuric acid, accompanied by formation of water-soluble lithium sulfate, which is used for further production of tradable lithium carbonate. Method of alkaline decomposition by melting with fluxes causes prerequisites for spodumene complex processing with extraction of lithium, aluminium and silicon into commercial compounds. At the same time, the foregoing spodumene processing method can be used for utilization of applied reagents (calcined soda and sulfuric acid) into commercial compounds. On the basis of studying of kinetics of sulfuric lithium extraction from spodumene, activated by fusion with sodium carbonate, there was determined the value of apparent activation energy interaction of fusion cake-granulate with sulfuric acid (E_ap = 8,1 kJ/mol). Besides the rate-limiting step of this process was established. The calculated value of apparent activation energy prove the fact that the study is carried out in diffused area. It is possible to suppose that the researched process is limited by diffusion rate of acid molecules at response surface through the layer of formed reaction products. The determined kinetic dependences allow to optimize technological modes of sulfuric openings of concentrates.

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