A method of extracting lithium from a lithium-bearing material including: (i) mixing the lithium-bearing material, gypsum, a sulfur-containing material, and a calcium-containing material and forming a feed mixture having a moisture content of at least 20 wt %; (ii) drying the feed mixture to form a dried mixture having a moisture content of less than 20 wt %; (iii) roasting the dried mixture and forming a roasted mixture including a water-soluble lithium compound; and (iv) leaching lithium from the water-soluble lithium compound and forming a lithium-containing leachate by mixing the aqueous solution and the water-soluble lithium compound.

A method of extracting lithium from a lithium-bearing material including: (i) mixing the lithium-bearing material, gypsum, a sulfur-containing material, and a calcium-containing material and forming a feed mixture having a moisture content of at least 20 wt %; (ii) drying the feed mixture to form a dried mixture having a moisture content of less than 20 wt %; (iii) roasting the dried mixture and forming a roasted mixture including a water-soluble lithium compound; and (iv) leaching lithium from the water-soluble lithium compound and forming a lithium-containing leachate by mixing the aqueous solution and the water-soluble lithium compound.

The invention relates to a method and equipment for the continuous sintering of mineral material in a sintering furnace (S). In the method, a material bed (2) is formed on a conveyor base (1), the material bed (2) is conveyed by the conveyor base (1) through the process zones (I-VII) of the sintering furnace that have different temperatures, the zones including at least one drying zone (I), at least one cooling zone (VII), and at least one other process zone (II, III, IV, V, VI) between the said drying zone and cooling zone, and gas is conducted through the conveyor base and the material bed (2), when the material bed travels through the process zones (I-VII), and gas is circulated in a circulation gas duct (3) from the last cooling zone (VII) to the drying zone (I). Part of the gas flow that is conducted to the drying zone (I) in the circulation gas duct (3) is removed as an exhaust gas flow (B) by the exhaust gas blower (5) of an exhaust gas duct (4). The volume flow of the exhaust gas flow (B) is regulated by regulating the blowing power of the blower (5) to control the temperature of the gas flow travelling through the material bed in the drying zone.

The invention relates to a method and equipment for the continuous sintering of mineral material in a sintering furnace (S). In the method, a material bed (2) is formed on a conveyor base (1), the material bed (2) is conveyed by the conveyor base (1) through the process zones (I-VII) of the sintering furnace that have different temperatures, the zones including at least one drying zone (I), at least one cooling zone (VII), and at least one other process zone (II, III, IV, V, VI) between the said drying zone and cooling zone, and gas is conducted through the conveyor base and the material bed (2), when the material bed travels through the process zones (I-VII), and gas is circulated in a circulation gas duct (3) from the last cooling zone (VII) to the drying zone (I). Part of the gas flow that is conducted to the drying zone (I) in the circulation gas duct (3) is removed as an exhaust gas flow (B) by the exhaust gas blower (5) of an exhaust gas duct (4). The volume flow of the exhaust gas flow (B) is regulated by regulating the blowing power of the blower (5) to control the temperature of the gas flow travelling through the material bed in the drying zone.

The present invention relates to a sustainable regeneration process for metallurgical plant dusts and sludges for producing iron-containing, heavy metal-depleted secondary raw materials and recovering lead and zinc, by providing a first starting material which comprises at least one iron, zinc, lead and further heavy metal components containing metallurgical plant dust and/or sludge, and a second starting material containing at least one chlorine component, mixing the starting materials and drying the mixture, pyrolyzing the mixture for expelling zinc, lead and further heavy metal components, capturing the gas phase of the pyrolysis in sulfuric acid, and providing the residue which remains as an iron-containing secondary raw material depleted in zinc, lead and further heavy metal components.

The present invention relates to a sustainable regeneration process for metallurgical plant dusts and sludges for producing iron-containing, heavy metal-depleted secondary raw materials and recovering lead and zinc, by providing a first starting material which comprises at least one iron, zinc, lead and further heavy metal components containing metallurgical plant dust and/or sludge, and a second starting material containing at least one chlorine component, mixing the starting materials and drying the mixture, pyrolyzing the mixture for expelling zinc, lead and further heavy metal components, capturing the gas phase of the pyrolysis in sulfuric acid, and providing the residue which remains as an iron-containing secondary raw material depleted in zinc, lead and further heavy metal components.

A method for heating a powder material to induce a crystalline phase change in the grains of the particle comprising the steps of: a. preheating the powder from the high temperature streams generated from cooling the phase changed product; b. injecting the powder into a metal tube; c. controlling the gas composition in the metal tube by injecting a gas into the reactor; d. externally heating the first section of the tube by a first furnace segment system; e. externally heating the second section of the tube by a second furnace segment system; f: quickly quenching the powder product temperature in a cold third segment of the tube; g. collecting the processed powder at the base of the tube in a bed ejecting the powder from the tube; h. cooling the powder in a heat exchanger and using the heat to preheat the powder in step a.

A method for heating a powder material to induce a crystalline phase change in the grains of the particle comprising the steps of: a. preheating the powder from the high temperature streams generated from cooling the phase changed product; b. injecting the powder into a metal tube; c. controlling the gas composition in the metal tube by injecting a gas into the reactor; d. externally heating the first section of the tube by a first furnace segment system; e. externally heating the second section of the tube by a second furnace segment system; f: quickly quenching the powder product temperature in a cold third segment of the tube; g. collecting the processed powder at the base of the tube in a bed ejecting the powder from the tube; h. cooling the powder in a heat exchanger and using the heat to preheat the powder in step a.

The present disclosure provides a method of recycling a waste battery, the method including: introducing and charging waste battery raw materials; heating the introduced and charged waste battery raw materials; cooling the heat-treated products; and discharging the cooled reactants, wherein in the introducing and charging of the waste battery raw materials, a weight ratio of carbon/nickel in the charged raw materials is 20 wt % or more.

The present disclosure provides a method of recycling a waste battery, the method including: introducing and charging waste battery raw materials; heating the introduced and charged waste battery raw materials; cooling the heat-treated products; and discharging the cooled reactants, wherein in the introducing and charging of the waste battery raw materials, a weight ratio of carbon/nickel in the charged raw materials is 20 wt % or more.