THERMAL TREATMENT OF MINERAL RAW MATERIALS USING A MECHANICAL FLUIDISED BED REACTOR
An apparatus for thermally treating lithium ores and other mineral raw material may include a comminution apparatus, a pelletization apparatus, and a thermal treatment apparatus. The pelletization apparatus can be a mechanical fluidized bed reactor. Further, a process for thermally treating lithium ore and other mineral raw material may involve comminuting the mineral raw material in a comminution apparatus to form a first product, pelletizing the first product in a mechanical fluidized bed reactor to form a second product, and thermally treating the second product in a thermal treatment apparatus. Ninety percent of all particles in the second product may have a particle size between 50 μm and 500 μm.
1 .- 12 . (canceled)
13 . An apparatus for thermally treating lithium ore and other mineral raw material, the apparatus comprising:
a comminution apparatus;
a pelletization apparatus configured as a mechanical fluidized bed reactor; and
a thermal treatment apparatus.
14 . The apparatus of claim 13 comprising a preheater that includes 2 to 8 cyclones.
15 . The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the thermal treatment apparatus comprises a calciner.
16 . The apparatus of claim 13 comprising a cooler disposed downstream of the thermal treatment apparatus.
17 . The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the cooler is directly connected to the calciner.
18 . The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the thermal treatment apparatus comprises a rotary furnace.
19 . The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the mechanical fluidized bed reactor comprises a substantially horizontally arranged container, wherein a shaft is arranged centrally along a longitudinal axis of the container, wherein mixing means are arranged radially on the shaft.
20 . The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the mixing means has a plowshare-like configuration.
21 . The apparatus of claim 13 comprising a homogenization stage disposed between the comminution apparatus and the mechanical fluidized bed reactor.
22 . The apparatus of claim 13 comprising a riser tube dryer disposed between the mechanical fluidized bed reactor and the thermal treatment apparatus.
23 . A process for thermally treating lithium aluminum silicate and other mineral raw material, the process comprising:
comminuting the lithium aluminum silicate in a comminution apparatus to form a first product, wherein the lithium aluminum silicate has a high degree of contamination by sodium, potassium, and/or iron components of greater than 0.5% by weight based on Na 2 O, K 2 O, Fe 2 O 3 ;
pelletizing the first product in a pelletization apparatus to form a second product, wherein the pelletization apparatus is a mechanical fluidized bed reactor, wherein 90% of all particles in the second product have a particle size between 50 μm and 500 μm; and
thermally treating the second product at a temperature of at least 950° C. in a thermal treatment apparatus.
24 . The process of claim 23 comprising adding a fuel having an ignition temperature of 500° C. to 650° C. before or during the pelletizing.
25 . The process of claim 24 wherein the fuel is coal, coal dust, or cellulose.
26 . The process of claim 24 wherein the fuel is added up to a mass content of at most 50%.
27 . The process of claim 24 wherein the fuel is added to a mass content of at least 0.1%.
28 . The process of claim 23 comprising adding a binder before or during the pelletizing.
29 . The process of claim 28 wherein the binder is aluminum silicate or a sulfate.
30 . The process of claim 23 wherein thermally treating the second product occurs at a temperature of at most 1200° C.
31 . The process of claim 23 comprising cooling the second product after the thermal treatment.
32 . The process of claim 23 comprising comminuting the second product after the thermal treatment.
33 . The process of claim 23 wherein the thermal treatment apparatus is a rotary furnace and a multilevel furnace, wherein the thermal treatment occurs with a residence time of 30 minutes to 2 hours.