Lithium mineral flotation: The past, present, and future

The global demand for lithium is expected to outpace supply over the coming decades; a recent analysis by the International Energy Agency suggests that the world's current supply of lithium will meet only 50% of global demand by 2035. Governments around the world have responded by incentivising the rapid development of their lithium resources, including hard-rock mineral deposits. 

To extract lithium from hard rock ore, lithium-bearing minerals first must be separated from associated gangue by two primary methods: dense media separation and/or flotation. Dense media separation is a straightforward process with relatively low operating costs, making it a preferred processing route for lithium mineral recovery. However, when finer grinding is required to liberate lithium minerals from ores with greater mineralogical complexity, flotation is the critical method of separation. 

In a keynote lecture at Flotation '25, Charlotte Gibson, Assistant Professor at Queen’s University, Canada, will explore the industrial history of lithium mineral flotation around the globe, highlighting practical challenges and gaps in our understanding of flotation mechanisms. A review of recent advances in lithium flotation research reveals a pressing need to expand global research and innovation capacity in the field,from reagent development to bespoke equipment design.

Before joining Queen’s in 2020, Charlotte held various roles in the mining industry across Canada, the United States, and Australia. She has worked in mine operations, mineral processing flowsheet development, mineral processing technology development, and data analytics for a number of companies including SGS, Barrick Gold, and Vale. She now leads the Critical Minerals Processing Lab in The Robert M. Buchan Department of Mining, where her research group develops processes to concentrate critical minerals from primary and secondary resources.

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