Experiment on Synchronous Flotation of Lithium-rubidium-cesium in a Lithium Porcelain Clay Mine in Jiangxi Province

The Li₂O grade of a lithium porcelain clay mine in Jiangxi Province is 0.46%. The lithium-containing minerals are mainly lithium muscovite, and the gangue minerals are mainly quartz, albite and potassium feldspar. In order to efficiently recover lithium-containing minerals from ores and maximize the comprehensive utilization of associated valuable elements such as rubidium and cesium, a systematic beneficiation experiment was conducted. The experimental results showed that at the grinding finness condition of -74 μm content 70.04%, after desliming, using self-developed high-efficiency collector TS-30, through a closed-circuit flotation process consisting of one roughing, one scavenging, and two cleaning, a mixed concentrate was ultimately obtained with Li₂O, Rb₂O, and Cs₂O grades of 2.49%, 0.78%, and 0.18%, respectively, and corresponding recovery rates of 81.30%, 60.80%, and 69.79%. This approach achieved efficient recovery of lithium, rubidium, and cesium from the lithium clay ore.