A line with an annual capacity of 500 tonnes, built by the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Process Engineering together with Ganfeng Lithium and other partners, is now operating steadily at full capacity. It extracts low-grade rubidium and cesium associated with lithium ore.
The rubidium carbonate and cesium carbonate produced have a purity of more than 99.9%. The Chinese Academy of Sciences said the operation marks a breakthrough in the efficient and environmentally friendly separation of low-grade associated rubidium and cesium resources.
The research team developed intensified counter-current extraction equipment using columns, as well as a three-phase column for carbon dioxide-based stripping. One extraction column can match the output of 15 conventional extraction mixer-settlers; extractant use is 40% lower and the footprint is reduced by more than 50%.
