Characterization and Liberation Study of the Beauvoir Granite for Lithium Mica Recovery

A significant proportion of Europe’s lithium endowment is hosted by unconventional resources such as rare-metal granites (RMG) which the Beauvoir granite in France a prime example. In hard-rock deposits, where mostly micas (lepidolite, zinnwaldite), ability to assess whether can be extracted economically from ore essential and requires comprehensive understanding mineralogical properties deportment. Using three exploratory drill cores distributed along North–South axis, preliminary geometallurgical assessment has been conducted based on combination techniques including Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-AES), Adsorption (AAS), Electron Probe Microanalysis (EPMA), Scanning Microscope (SEM) coupled with automated mineralogy software, X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), optical microscope sieving. Lithium distribution appears variable, reflecting evolution granite, higher mica content southern area Li grade towards center orebody. The size assessed sample does not vary significantly. grindability liberation varies different zones investigated, PERC S being most difficult grind. There always more than 50 wt% that are liberated samples when crushed 1 mm. Indirect estimation EPMA SEM analysis suggests inside crystals could vary. If this confirmed direct measurement, it for sure makes calculations deportment challenging.