Compact & Scalable Lithium Plant for Small Miners

Introduction: Democratizing Lithium Mining for Small Operators

As global lithium demand surges, JXSC has engineered a breakthrough solution bringing industrial-grade processing to small miners. Our commissioned 120TPD lithium processing plant in Nigeria demonstrates how compact, modular systems can deliver 85-90% recovery rates while maintaining scalability to 240TPD.

 

120TPD Lithium Processing Plant Case Study from Nigeria

Nigeria’s mining sector is growing, and small-scale hard rock lithium mining is gaining traction. Recently, JXSC designed and supplied a 120-ton-per-day (TPD) lithium processing plant for a local mining company. This tailored solution processes spodumene ore efficiently, with the flexibility to upgrade to 200TPD or 240TPD in the future.

Let’s break down the project overview, processing flow, key equipment, and customer benefits.

Project Overview

• Location: Nigeria
• Client: Local small-scale lithium mining company
• Ore Type: Spodumene(2% Li₂O grade, max feed size: 200mm)
• Processing Capacity: 120TPD(expandable to 200-240TPD)
• Key Requirement: Easy operation, high recovery, cost efficiency

 

 

Processing Flow & Equipment

1. Feeding & Crushing System

Purpose: Reduce large-sized spodumene ore (≤200mm) to ≤20mm for grinding.

Process: Two-stage crushing (12 hours/day)

Equipment: Chute Feeder → Jaw Crusher (Primary) → Fine Jaw Crusher → Vibration Screen (20mm mesh)

• Chute Feeder→ Continuously regulates ore feed to prevent clogging.
• Primary Jaw Crusher→ Breaks down ore to 40-100mm (first-stage crushing).
• Vibration Screen (20mm mesh)→ Screens out ≤20mm material (sent to stockpile).
• Fine Jaw Crusher→ Further crushes oversize (+20mm) material.

Output: 0-20mm fine ore for grinding

Why only 10 hours of crushing?

• High efficiency– Short crushing time reduces power consumption.
• Optimized grinding– Finer crushing increases ball mill throughput.

2. Ball Mill Grinding System

Purpose: Grind 0-20mm spodumene ore to 200mesh slurry (75-80% fineness) for lithium liberation.
Process: 24-hour continuous operation
Equipment: Electromagnetic Feeder → Ball Mill → Spiral Classifier

• Electromagnetic Feeder → Automatically controls feed rate (5TPH) for steady grinding
• Ball Mill → Uses steel balls to pulverize ore into fine powder (200mesh target)
• Spiral Classifier→ Separates qualified slurry from coarse particles
  Overflow (200mesh): Sent to flotation
  Underflow (coarse): Returned to ball mill for re-grinding

Output: Uniform 200mesh slurry (critical for flotation efficiency)

Why a ball mill instead of a hammer crusher?

• Hammer crushers max out at ~2mm particles (insufficient for lithium flotation)
• Ball mills achieve 70-80% ≤200mesh fineness for optimal mineral liberation

Why a spiral classifier?

• Ensures only properly ground material (<200mesh)proceeds to flotation.
• Coarse particles return for re-grinding, creating a closed-loop system.

 

 

3. Mud Water Removing System

Purpose: Eliminate clay/ultrafines that harm flotation performance
Process: 24-hour cyclone separation
Equipment: Hydrocyclone Array

Hydrocyclone Operation:

• Overflow (mud water): Discharged to the tailings pond
• Underflow (cleaned slurry): Pumped to flotation mixing tanks

Criticality:

• Prevents reagent waste in flotation
• Raises Li₂O recovery by 8-12%

What if we skip the hydrocyclone? 

• Uneven particle size 
• Increased flotation reagent waste 
• Lower lithium recovery

4. Flotation System

Purpose: Separate lithium minerals from gangue via froth flotation
Process: 3-stage selective separation (24h operation)
Equipment: Mixing Tanks → Flotation Machines (Roughing/Scavenging/Cleaning)

Detailed Sequence:

• Mixing Tanks (×2): Ore + reagents (pH modifiers/collectors) homogenized for 5-8 minutes
• Roughing Flotation (4 cells): Recovers 60-70% Li₂O in primary concentrate
• Scavenging Flotation (8 cells): Recovers residual lithium from tailings (boosts total recovery to 85-90%)
• Cleaning Flotation (5-8 cells): Upgrades concentrate to 5-6% Li₂O through 2-3 purification cycles

Water Consumption: 300T/day (80% recycled from thickeners)

5. Li₂O Concentrate Dewatering System

Purpose: Produce dry, shippable lithium concentrate (~8% moisture)
Process: Two-stage water removal
Equipment: Thickener → Disc Vacuum Filter → Belt Conveyor

• Thickener: Increases slurry density from 30% → 60% solids via gravity settling
• Disc Vacuum Filter: Removes 92% water through suction filtration; Achieves final moisture content of 8-12%
• Belt Conveyor: Transports packaged concentrate to storage (bags/bulk)

Key Advantage

• Filter water is fully recycled to the processing circuit
• Compact footprint vs. traditional drying methods 

Tailings Management Options

Standard Solution: Tailing pond sedimentation
Upgradable Option:

• Plate Filter Press System→ Produces stackable, dry tailings cake
• Includes:Tailing thickener + Filter press + Conveyor

Cost-Benefit

• Reduces environmental footprint
• Enables tailings reprocessing (future lithium extraction)

Current Setup

• 120TPD plant uses a simple pond system
• Upgrade-ready for future dry stacking needs

Equipment Configuration

Equipment For 120TPD Lithium Plant
NO.	Product Name	Model No.	Quantity (Set)
1	Chute Feeder	600*500	1
2	Primary Jaw Crusher	PE250*400	1
3	Belt conveyor	650*15m	5
4	Fine Jaw Crusher	PEX150*750	1
5	Vibrating Screen	1530	1
6	Belt conveyor	650*10m	1
7	Electromagnetic Vibration Feeder	GZ1	1
8	Ball Mill	MQZ1530	1
9	Electronic weight machine	650	1
10	Spiral Classifier	FG-10	1
11	Slurry pump	3/2 inch	2
12	Mixing Tank	1m*1m	2
13	Flotation machine	SF-1.2	17
14	Hydrocyclone	FX100	1
15	Slurry Pump for hydrocyclone	3/2-AHR	2

 

Technical Support & Maintenance

Engineer Services

• Fee: $150/day per engineer

Typical Duration

• Basic commissioning: 15-20 days
• Full optimization: 1-2 months

Critical Training Topics

• Ball mill media replenishment schedule
• Flotation reagent dosing calibration
• Hydrocyclone pressure adjustments

Who Is This Plant For?

• Small-medium lithium miners (120-240TPD).
• Hard rock (spodumene/lepidolite) processing.
• Not suitable for sand-based lithium or large-scale industrial plants. 

Why Customers Choose JXSC?

• Customized Solutions→ Tailored for small-medium miners.
• 40+ Years Experience→ Reliable mineral processing experts.
• ISO & CE Certified→ High-quality, compliant machinery.
• After-Sales Support→ Installation guidance & troubleshooting. 

Final Customer Feedback

• Stable operation
• Met production targets
• Satisfied with recovery rates 

Conclusion

This 120TPD lithium processing plant demonstrates JXSC’s ability to deliver cost-efficient, high-recovery solutions for small-scale miners. By optimizing crushing, grinding, and flotation, we ensure maximized lithium extraction with minimal operational hassles.

Interested in a similar solution? Contact us for a customized proposal！