As a critical strategic rare metal, beryllium and its compounds (particularly beryllium oxide, BeO) occupy an irreplaceable position in nuclear energy, aerospace, electronic components, and advanced precision ceramics. Chrysoberyl is one of the core beryllium-bearing mineral resources, second only to beryl in industrial significance. Although the BeO grade in this type of ore typically ranges from only 0.15% to 1%, the overall resource volume is substantial, offering significant comprehensive recovery value.
However, constrained by the technical bottlenecks of traditional pyrometallurgical processes—characterized by high energy consumption, heavy reliance on flux additives, and low direct recovery rates—the development and utilization efficiency of low-grade chrysoberyl resources has long remained limited. How to achieve economically viable utilization of such strategic mineral resources through the deep integration of hydrometallurgy and high-efficiency separation equipment has become a critical challenge for the industry.
Bottlenecks in Conventional Processes: Low Efficiency Under High Consumption
With respect to beryllium extraction equipment and process selection, traditional treatment of beryllium concentrates mainly relies on sintering–co-fusion routes. To effectively disrupt the chrysoberyl crystal lattice, large quantities of fluxes such as calcite and sodium fluorosilicate must be added. This approach not only results in high energy consumption and complex processing flows but also exhibits poor adaptability to low-grade concentrates.
Through extensive industrial practice, the process research team at Zhengzhou Tiei Extraction Technology Co., Ltd. identified that fluorite plays a significant role in promoting the roasting decomposition of chrysoberyl. Based on this breakthrough, the team innovatively proposed an integrated process route of: “Flotation Co-Enrichment – Hydrometallurgical Leaching – Centrifugal Solvent Extraction Separation.”
In this approach, fluorite and chrysoberyl are simultaneously recovered through flotation to obtain low-grade yet high-recovery beryllium concentrate, thereby establishing a solid foundation for subsequent metallurgical separation and purification.
Core Hydrometallurgical Process Chain: Closed-Loop Production from Leaching to High-Purity BeO
Targeting this low-grade beryllium concentrate, Zhengzhou Tiei Extraction, in collaboration with multiple research institutes, has developed a fully integrated hydrometallurgical process chain consisting of: Leaching – Solvent Extraction – Stripping – Precipitation & Calcination.
1.Selective Leaching
After roasting, activation, cooling, crushing, and fine grinding, beryllium concentrate is leached with a dilute sulfuric acid system. By precisely controlling the acidity and liquid-solid ratio, highly selective dissolution of beryllium is achieved, while inhibiting impurities such as aluminum and iron from entering the leachate. After solid-liquid separation, a beryllium-containing leachate is obtained, with a beryllium leaching rate increased by more than 15% compared to traditional processes.
2.Four-stage Countercurrent Centrifugal Extraction
The beryllium-containing leachate enters the liquid-liquid extraction separation section. A P204-2-octanol-kerosene composite extractant system is used, with the core equipment being the CWL-M Centrifugal Extractor independently developed by Zhengzhou Tiei Extraction. This stage demonstrates significant technological advantages:
- Instantaneous mass transfer: Under the action of a high-speed centrifugal force field, the extractant and aqueous phase complete thorough mixing and mass transfer within milliseconds.
- Rapid phase separation: Relying on the dual driving forces of density difference and centrifugal force, instantaneous separation of the two phases is achieved, without emulsion entrainment.
- Extremely high efficiency: A single equipment is equivalent to the multi-stage effect of traditional mixer settlers, significantly shortening the extraction process.
After four-stage countercurrent extraction, the beryllium distribution coefficient stabilizes above 8.5, and the beryllium concentration in the raffinate can be reduced to below 0.01 g/L, meeting industry requirements for extraction efficiency.
3.Three-Stage Countercurrent Stripping and Organic Phase Regeneration
The beryllium-loaded organic phase is first deeply washed with oxalic acid solution to efficiently remove co-extraction impurities. After washing, the organic phase enters the stripping section, where three-stage countercurrent cascade stripping is performed using NaOH solution in a CWL-M centrifugal extractor.
In this step, the centrifugal extractor also plays a core role in the stripping process. Through precise control of the phase ratio and rotation speed, efficient stripping and transfer of beryllium are achieved. The stripping rate is consistently ≥99.2%. The blank organic phase can be completely recycled back to the extraction section after regeneration, and the annual extractant loss rate is controlled within 3%, significantly reducing operating costs.
4.Precipitation and Calcination
After precise acidification with dilute sulfuric acid, the stripping solution is boiled at 95℃ for 30 minutes to generate high-purity Be(OH)₂ precipitate. After solid-liquid separation, washing, and drying, the precipitate enters a gradient calcination process at 1200℃ to finally obtain a high-purity beryllium oxide product with a BeO content of ≥98.5%. The content of impurity elements such as iron and aluminum in the product is controlled below 0.05%, which fully meets the stringent requirements of high-end application fields for the purity of raw materials.
Core Equipment: CWL-M Centrifugal Extractor
In the entire beryllium extraction process, the choice of liquid-liquid extraction equipment directly determines the economy and stability of the process. While traditional mixer settlers can meet continuous extraction requirements, they suffer from inherent drawbacks such as large footprint, high solvent retention, low efficiency, and a significant tendency to emulsify. Zhengzhou Tiei Extraction Technology Co., Ltd. has systematically upgraded the CWL-M series centrifugal extractor to address the specific characteristics of beryllium hydrometallurgical processes:
1.Corrosion-Resistant Material System
The flow components utilize a composite structure of perfluorinated polymer materials and special alloys, enabling long-term resistance to multiple corrosions from sulfuric acid, fluoride ions, and high-concentration alkaline solutions, extending the equipment's lifespan to over 8 years.
2.Zero-Leakage Structural Design
An innovative top-suspended bearingless support system completely eliminates the need for bottom mechanical seals and bearing structures, fundamentally eliminating the risk of leakage and reducing equipment maintenance frequency by 90% compared to traditional centrifugal extractors.
3.Ultra-Low Power Consumption Operation
Through flow channel optimization, dynamic balancing fine-tuning, and high-efficiency drive system integration, the energy consumption per unit processing capacity is only 1/10 to 1/3 of that of traditional centrifugal extractors, resulting in significant energy savings in long-term continuous operation scenarios.
4.Highly Automated Integration
The CWL-M series centrifugal extractors support seamless integration with DCS systems, enabling automatic adjustment, precise speed control, and fault self-diagnosis, truly achieving unmanned operation of the extraction process.
Industrial Validation and Strategic Value
Currently, this integrated "flotation co-enrichment-centrifugal extraction separation" process has achieved stable industrial-scale operation in a chrysoberyl mine. The comprehensive beryllium oxide recovery rate reached 87.6%, an improvement of 22 percentage points compared to traditional pyrometallurgical processes; acid and alkali consumption per ton of product decreased by 35%; and annual operating and maintenance costs decreased by more than 60%.
Zhengzhou Tiei Extraction Technology Co., Ltd., as a manufacturer of liquid-liquid extraction separation equipment, can provide one-stop solutions for different types of beryllium ore resources, from ore beneficiation studies and full-process package design to CWL-M centrifugal extraction equipment integration and intelligent control system delivery.
If you are interesting, welcome contact Tiei Extraction.
Email: sales@tieiextraction.com
Whatsapp: +86 19069612820
