The Application of Control Valves in Lithium Mining

As the core material of modern science and technology, lithium is widely used in smart phones, laptops, pacemakers and other electronic devices. The rapid development of lithium-ion batteries has enabled the popularization of electric vehicles (EVs), which not only helps reduce dependence on traditional fossil fuels, but also drives the global transition to green energy. As consumer acceptance of electric vehicles continues to increase, the market share has increased by 10% in just two years. However, this trend also brings challenges - annual global demand for lithium is expected to exceed 2 million tonnes by 2030, compared with 838,000 tonnes in 2024. This huge increase in demand requires lithium mining companies to meet production while ensuring that lithium quality meets battery grade standards. In this process, the control valve is an important part of the process control system to help improve production efficiency, safety and product quality.

Lithium Mining Process Overview

There are two main mining methods for lithium: salt water recovery method and hard rock mining method. Each method has its own unique process flow and technical requirements.

Brine Recovery Process

Brine recovery is a method of extracting lithium from underground brine deposits. The process begins by extracting brine from the ground and then pumping the salt to an evaporation tank to concentrate the lithium through natural evaporation. This process requires precise control of the flow of salt water to avoid energy loss and resource waste. As technology advances, new methods such as Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) are beginning to emerge, which rapidly extracts lithium through chemical reactions, significantly reducing the need for time and space. Therefore, efficient process control is crucial, especially the performance of the control valve plays a key role in ensuring the stability and consistency of the lithium concentration.

Hard Rock Mining Method

Hard rock mining mainly extracts lithium from ores such as spodumene by mechanical means. During this process, environmental conditions are harsh and engineers have to deal with challenges such as abrasive slurry, high temperatures, corrosive substances and toxic gases. This environment places high demands on the durability and stability of the control valves, and engineers need to develop specialized solutions to reduce unplanned downtime and optimize the overall production process.

Application of Control Valve in Lithium Mining

Control valves play an important role in several key links of lithium mining, and their design and construction must be adapted to the specific conditions of different extraction methods.

Salt Pumping

In the process of brine recovery, the effective pumping of brine is crucial. Cavitation can cause damage to the valve body, leakage, and instability of the flow rate, reducing the overall efficiency of the system. In order to reduce the impact of cavitation, modern control valve design has introduced special materials and structures, such as the use of high-wear and corrosion-resistant alloy materials, which can effectively reduce the occurrence of cavitation. In addition, advanced valve flow control technology monitors flow changes in real time to ensure flow stability during pumping, thereby improving energy efficiency.

Mud Management

In lithium mining, the management of flotation and pulp flow is particularly important. These processes require control valves with high wear resistance and reliability to cope with high temperature, high pressure and highly corrosive environments. The control valve is responsible for regulating the flow and pressure in mud management, ensuring that the flow rate of the slurry and chemicals is operating within the optimal range, thereby increasing the lithium recovery rate. In response to this demand, customized professional control valves have emerged, which are designed with various process parameters in mind to optimize operational efficiency and improve product quality.

Lithium Extraction

In hard rock lithium mining, leaching and solvent extraction are key steps. In these processes, the stability and consistency of the chemical flow rate is critical. However, the chemicals involved are often highly corrosive and can easily damage the components of the control valve.

In new brine lithium extraction methods, such as reverse osmosis (RO) processes, control valve accuracy is also critical. Reverse osmosis technology extracts lithium from saline water through a selective membrane at constant pressure, which requires the control valve to have a high precision flow regulation capability. The high quality control valve effectively resists flickering and clogging, ensuring that the pressure is kept within the optimal range, extending the service life of the membrane and improving extraction efficiency.

Refining Process

In the final refining stage of lithium, metallurgists need to process lithium into foils or rods. The control of temperature is critical in this process, and any temperature fluctuations can affect the quality of the final product. Proper control valves help engineers regulate the boiler's feed water system to maintain the desired temperature range, thereby optimizing the refining process. This precision thermal control not only helps to increase lithium yield, but also significantly reduces energy consumption and improves overall economic benefits.

Sum up

To meet the growing demand for lithium, engineers must minimize unplanned downtime and improve the efficiency of process control systems. Clear control valve specifications help avoid potential problems and improve the ease of maintenance. High quality control valves whose size, design and construction match the application maintain performance over long periods of time and reduce maintenance costs.

MFRS is dedicated to the design and manufacture of custom professional control valves that can handle the most demanding service conditions. Our application engineers will provide professional support based on your specific needs to ensure the reliability and effectiveness of your system configuration. If you want to further improve the efficiency of the lithium mining process, please visit our quotation center for more information.