Project (Location) Main Process ROM (% Li₂O) Concentr ate (% Li₂O) DMS Top Size (mm) Recovery (%) Developmen t Stage magnetic + flotation Bandeira (Bandeira) DMS 1.2–1.4 5.5–6.0 ~10 Preliminary projections Pilot/Pre-fea sibility Cachoeira (Araçuaí) Crushing + DMS + attrition + flotation ~1.2–1. 6 5.5–6.2 not detailed ~75–80 global Operating mine Neves (Governador Valadares) Heavy liquid separation tests (>0.25 %) Under evaluation P100 ~30 Preliminary Exploration From Table 1, it can be verified that economically viable Brazilian spodumene deposits typically have head grades of 1.0-1.5% Li₂O. Second, the grade concentrate targets 5.5–6.4% Li₂O consistently. Recoveries vary with mineralogical deposit characteristics: operating mine reports indicate global recoveries above 70%, whereas pilot tests demonstrate stage recoveries exceeding 90% for coarse fractions. DMS is the dominant processing method in Brazil due to the coarse spodumene crystal size and the pronounced specific-gravity contrast with gangue minerals. With the aim of increasing knowledge about Brazilian pegmatites and the application of DMS for concentrating lithium minerals, this study presents a case study from southeastern Brazil. Lithium-bearing minerals from Minas Gerais were characterised through chemical and mineralogical analysis, and preliminary sink-and-float tests were executed. 2. METHODOLOGY 2.1 Samples The samples were from a pegmatite deposit located in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Approximately 1.50 kg of material was prepared for this case study. The material was homogenized and quartered to obtain representative subsamples for chemical analysis, mineralogical studies, and heavy liquid separation tests. 2.2 Mineralogical Studies An approximate 0.75 kg ore subsample was divided into two particle size fractions: +850 μm and 850/+500 μm. This particle size fraction was defined due to the limitations in the 142
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