Spodumene

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Spodumene
Tenebrescence, chatoyancy
References[2][3][4][5]

Spodumene is a

Al(SiO3)2, and is a commercially important source of lithium. It occurs as colorless to yellowish, purplish, or lilac kunzite (see below), yellowish-green or emerald-green hiddenite, prismatic crystals, often of great size. Single crystals of 14.3 m (47 ft) in size are reported from the Black Hills of South Dakota, United States.[6][7]

The naturally-occurring low-temperature form α-spodumene is in the

tetragonal system. α-spodumene converts to β-spodumene at temperatures above 900 °C.[5] Crystals are typically heavily striated parallel to the principal axis. Crystal faces are often etched and pitted with triangular markings.[not verified in body
]

Discovery and occurrence

Spodumene was first described in 1800 for an occurrence in the

Jose Bonifacio de Andrada e Silva. The name is derived from the Greek spodumenos (σποδούμενος), meaning "burnt to ashes", owing to the opaque ash-grey appearance of material refined for use in industry.[2]

Spodumene occurs in lithium-rich granite pegmatites and aplites. Associated minerals include: quartz, albite, petalite, eucryptite, lepidolite and beryl.[3]

Transparent material has long been used as a

Québec in Canada, and North Carolina and California in the U.S.

Since 2018, the

territory of Manono, Tanganyika Province.[8] As of 2021, the Australian company AVZ Minerals[9] is developing the Manono Lithium and Tin project and has a resource size of 400 million tonnes of high grade low impurities at 1.65% lithium oxide (Li2O)[10]
spodumene hard-rock based on studies and drilling of Roche Dure, one of several pegmatites in the deposit.

Economic importance

Spodumene is an important source of

automotive applications), medicine, Pyroceram and as a fluxing agent. As of 2019, around half of lithium is extracted from mineral ores, which mainly consist of spodumene. Lithium is recovered from spodumene by dissolution in acid, or extraction with other reagents, after roasting to convert it to the more reactive β-spodumene. The advantage of spodumene as a lithium source compared to brine sources is the higher lithium concentration, but at a higher extraction cost.[11]

In 2016, the price was forecast to be $500–600/ton for years to come.[12] However, price spiked above $800 in January 2018, and production increased more than consumption, reducing the price to $400 in September 2020.[13][14]

World production of lithium via spodumene was around 80,000 metric tonnes per annum in 2018, primarily from the

Global Advanced Metals), is reported to be the world's second largest and to have the highest grade of ore at 2.4% Li2O (2012 figures).[15]

In 2020, Australia expanded spodumene mining to become the leading lithium producing country in the world.[16]

Extraction of lithium from spodumene is challenging due to the tight binding of lithium in the crystal structure. Processing methods rely on roasting at high temperature with various reagents. At temperatures in excess of 800 °C (1,470 °F), the spodumene is converted from the alpha structure to a more open beta structure from which the lithium is more easily extracted by the reagents. Suitable extraction reagents include alkali metal sulfates, such as sodium sulfate; sodium carbonate; chlorine; or hydrofluoric acid.[17]

An important economic concentrate of spodumene, known as spodumene concentrate 6 or SC6, is a high-purity lithium ore with approximately 6 percent lithium content being produced as a raw material for the subsequent production of lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles.[18][19]

Gemstone varieties

Hiddenite

Hiddenite is a pale, emerald-green gem variety first reported from Alexander County, North Carolina, U.S.[20] It was named in honor of William Earl Hidden (16 February 1853 – 12 June 1918), mining engineer, mineral collector, and mineral dealer.[21][additional citation(s) needed]

This emerald-green variety of spodumene is colored by chromium, just as for emeralds. Not all green spodumene is colored with chromium, which tend to have a lighter color, and therefore are not true hiddenite.[clarification needed]

Kunzite

Kunzite is a purple-colored gemstone, a variety of spodumene, with the color coming from minor to trace amounts of manganese. Exposure to sunlight can fade its color.[21]

Kunzite was discovered in 1902, and was named after

Tiffany & Co's chief jeweler at the time, and a noted mineralogist.[21] It has been found in Brazil, the U.S., Canada, CIS, Mexico, Sweden, Western Australia, Afghanistan and Pakistan.[21][22]

  • An almost colorless kunzite crystal (upper left), a cut pale pink kunzite (upper right) and a greenish hiddenite crystal (below) (unknown scale)
    An almost colorless kunzite crystal (upper left), a cut pale pink kunzite (upper right) and a greenish hiddenite crystal (below) (unknown scale)
  • Kunzite, Nuristan Province, Afghanistan
    Kunzite, Nuristan Province, Afghanistan
  • Hiddenite from Araçuaí, Minas Gerais, Brazil
    Hiddenite from Araçuaí, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Triphane

Triphane is the name used for yellowish varieties of spodumene.[23]

See also

Notes

  1. S2CID 235729616
    .
  2. ^ a b Spodumene, Mindat.org
  3. ^ a b Anthony, John W., Bideaux, Richard A., Bladh, Kenneth W., and Nichols, Monte C. (1990). Handbook of Mineralogy. Mineral Data Publishing, Tucson, Arizona
  4. ^ a b Deer, Howie and Zussman, Rock Forming Minerals, v. 2 Chain Silicates, Wiley, 1963 pp. 92–98
  5. ^ Schwartz, G. (1928). "The Black Hills Mineral Region". American Mineralogist. 13: 56–63.
  6. ^ Robert Louis Bonewitz, 2005, Rock and Gem, London, Dorling Kindersley
  7. ^ "This Congo project could supply the world with lithium". MiningDotCom. 10 December 2018. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
  8. ^ "AVZ Minerals Limited". AVZ Minerals. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
  9. ^ "AVZ Minerals Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS – April 2020)". AVZ Minerals.
  10. S2CID 225417879
    .
  11. ^ "Spodumene concentrate forecasted price 2020". Statista. 21 July 2016. Archived from the original on 1 December 2020.
  12. ^ Shi, Carrie; Ouerghi, Dalila (5 October 2020). "Demand pick-up halts spodumene price fall". www.metalbulletin.com. Archived from the original on 11 October 2020.
  13. ^ "Lithium Resources and Energy Quarterly" (PDF). December 2019. Archived (PDF) from the original on 22 September 2020.
  14. ^ "Greenbushes Lithium Mine". Golden Dragon Capital. Archived from the original on 19 January 2019. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
  15. ^ Jaskula, Brian W. (January 2020). "Mineral Commodity Summaries 2020" (PDF). U.S. Geological Survey. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
  16. .
  17. ^ Jamasmie, Cecilia (28 September 2020). "Piedmont Lithium stock soars on confirmed Tesla deal". mining.com. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
  18. ^ Piedmont Lithium Signs Sales Agreement with Tesla, 28 September 2020, retrieved 14 March 2021.
  19. ^ Smith, John Lawrence. "Hiddenite, an emerald-green variety of spodumene." American Journal of Science 3.122 (1881): 128–130.
  20. ^
    ISSN 0035-7529
    .
  21. ^ "Kunzite Gemstone | Kunzite Stone – GIA". www.gia.edu. Retrieved 2023-03-01.
  22. S2CID 243253247
    .

References

External links