Мінеральні ресурси України (Jul 2024)

Ukraine’s lithium pegmatites: issues and advantages of field development

  • O. I. Bilous,
  • B. I. Slobodian,
  • V. O. Parfeniuk

DOI
https://doi.org/10.31996/mru.2024.2.3-9
Journal volume & issue
no. 2
pp. 3 – 9

Abstract

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Lithium contributes to development of high-tech industries around the globe. This article examines economic prospects of the Ukrainian lithium resources in the context of general trends existing on the world market. An overview and analysis of different aspects such as the world market specifics and current trends, size and ore quality of the European pegmatite deposits, economics of lithium-bearing minerals and commercial requirements to the quality of lithium concentrates are given. Pegmatite deposits prospects are categorized according to their estimated reserves. Main types of lithium-ion batteries are described and their preferences for a particular mineral lithium commodity is characterised. Separately, economic significance of the Ukrainian deposits is shown based on comparison between petalite and spodumene pegmatites. It is shown that under conditions of the same method of lithium processing and extraction, the production costs for one tonne of lithium carbonate from petalite concentrate are 1.7 times higher that from spodumene. At the same time, in terms of mineral grades and ore body extensions petalite deposits are comparable with those of many spodumene ones. The higher costs related to lower lithium content per tonne of concentrate are offset by the petalite’s superior purity during the hydrometallurgical processing stage and the requirement of less waste removal during physical concentration. Two important deposits for the Ukrainian industry, Shevchenkivske and Polokhivske, are compared in light of their economic framework. These deposits have been studied to relative detail and are most attractive for mining. Shevchenkivske deposits is localized in the Priazovskiy megablock, Polokhivske – in Ingulskiy megablock (accordingly, Western Priazovskiy and Central Ukrainian metallogenic districts). The ores of the specified deposits are suitable for production of monomineral concentrates with their further processing to lithium chemical products – lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide. Mineral resources of these deposits have been estimated to a depth of 500 m from the surface. Considerable prospects and challenges for lithium extraction from the Ukrainian deposits is shown.

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