Spodumene is the main raw material for lithium extraction, and calcination is an important part of the spodumene extraction process. The calcination process of spodumene is to remove the impurities in it through physical and chemical changes at high temperatures for the subsequent lithium extraction process. There are several types of spodumene kilns, the most common of which are rotary kilns and shaft kilns. Rotary kilns have long calcination belts and are capable of handling large quantities of material, but the calcination temperature is not uniform and the thermal efficiency is low. Although the shaft kiln has high thermal efficiency, it has a large footprint and is not suitable for handling large quantities of materials. In order to overcome these shortcomings, people began to study new types of calcining kilns, such as suspension calcining kilns and multi-layer calcining kilns.
The development of the new calcining kiln aims to improve the efficiency of lithium extraction from spodumene and the quality of its products, while reducing energy consumption and environmental pollution. At present, many enterprises and research institutions at home and abroad are committed to the research and improvement of spodumene calcination technology to meet market demand and environmental protection requirements. Among them, some new calcining kilns have been applied in production and have achieved good results. For example, the suspension calcination kiln realizes the rapid heating and uniform calcination of the material by suspending it in a high-temperature gas stream, which improves the product quality and lithium extraction efficiency. The multi-layer calcination kiln realizes the sectional heating and calcination of materials by setting up multi-layer heating surfaces, which improves the thermal efficiency and material handling capacity.
With the rapid development of the new energy market, the demand for lithium is increasing, and the calcination technology of spodumene is also facing higher and higher requirements. In the future, the calcination technology of spodumene will continue to develop in the direction of high efficiency, environmental protection and energy saving. At the same time, with the continuous emergence and application of new technologies, the efficiency of lithium extraction and product quality of spodumene will also be further improved. In addition, with the continuous expansion of the new energy market and the improvement of the industrial chain, the downstream application fields of spodumene will also be further expanded. For example, in the field of energy storage, lithium-ion batteries are being used more and more widely, and the demand for lithium is also increasing. In the field of new energy vehicles, with the popularization of electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles, the demand for lithium will also increase significantly.
In conclusion, the calcination technology of spodumene is one of the important links in the extraction of lithium. In the future, with the rapid development of the new energy market and the continuous progress of technology, the calcination technology of spodumene will usher in a broader development prospect. At the same time, with the improvement of environmental protection requirements and the adjustment of energy structure, the development of new energy industry will also put forward higher requirements for the calcination technology of spodumene. Therefore, we need to continuously strengthen technological innovation and research and development to promote the continuous progress and development of spodumene calcination technology.