Lithium is the lightest metal in nature. Due to its advantages of high toughness, good ductility, and strong chemical activity, it is widely used in industrial production.
There are two main forms of lithium occurrence: one is in solid minerals, and the other is in brine from salt lakes. Over 150 lithium minerals and lithium-containing ores have been discovered in nature, with industrial applications including spodumene, lithium mica, lithiophorite, eucryptite, and lepidolite.
The beneficiation methods for lithium ores vary depending on the type of ore. Common methods include handpicking, flotation, thermal cracking, radiometric sorting, and magnetic separation.