What are the reactors and equipment used in the process of making lithium carbonate?

Lithium carbonate is one of the key materials for lithium-ion batteries, and its production process involves multiple steps such as chemical reactions, purification, and crystallization, requiring the use of a series of professional reactors and equipment. Below, Jin Zong Enterprise, with over 20 years of experience in reactor design, research and development, and manufacturing, will introduce some commonly used reactors and key equipment in the preparation process of lithium carbonate in detail.

1. Raw material preparation stage

　　Mixing tank/blender: First, the raw materials such as lithium salt (usually spodene or brine) and sodium carbonate need to be thoroughly mixed in a mixing tank. These equipment are equipped with efficient stirring devices to ensure that the raw materials are evenly dispers, preparing for subsequent reactions. 　　

2. Reaction stage

　　Reactor: The mixed raw materials are sent into the reactor for chemical reaction. Depending on the used, the reactor may need to have high-temperature or corrosion-resistant properties. For processes using spodumene as raw material, a high-temperature melting reactor is usually to melt spodumene at high temperature and react it with sodium carbonate to produce lithium carbonate. For the lithium extraction from brine route, a reactor made of corrosionresistant materials may be used because it will come into contact with corrosive substances such as hydrochloric acid during the process.

　　Crystallizer: After the reaction is, lithium carbonate in the solution needs to be crystallized by cooling or evaporation. The crystallizer is designed with precise temperature control devices to ensure that the crystals are uniform in size high in purity.

3.Purification and Separation Stage

Filtering Equipment: The lithium carbonate solution after crystallization needs to be filtered through equipment such plate and frame filter presses or centrifugal filters to remove unreacted impurities and mother liquor, preliminarily separating lithium carbonate crystals.

Washing Tank: To further the purity of lithium carbonate, the crystals need to be washed multiple times with clean water in a washing tank to remove attached impurities.

Drying Equipment: The washed lithiumate crystals need to be dried through equipment such as rotary flash evaporators or fluidized bed dryers to remove moisture, obtaining dry lithium carbonate powder.

Post- and Packaging Stage

Grinder: Depending on the need, the dried lithium carbonate may also need to be processed by a grinder to achieve specific particle size requirements

Screening Machine: The ground lithium carbonate is graded through a screening machine to ensure product particle size uniformity.

Packaging Equipment: Finally, qualified lithiumate powder is metered and sealed through automated packaging lines to ensure product purity and facilitate transportation.

In summary, the preparation of lithium carbonate is a complex process involving multiple and equipment. Every step requires strict control to ensure product quality and production safety. With technological advancements and increasing environmental requirements, modern lithium carbonate production lines increasingly focus on high efficiency, saving, and environmental friendliness.