Lithium ore processing is growing fast. The market demand is high. However dust control is a big problem. Dry crushing creates a lot of fine powder. This dust hurts worker health. It also ruins machines. We need to fix this. This guide is for mining bosses. It helps you save money. It helps you pass environmental laws. Let us look at the details.
Lithium ore like spodumene is hard. It has a high silica content. Crushing it makes fine silica dust. This is dangerous. It causes lung sickness. Governments have strict rules now. You must follow them. If not you get fined.
Also dust hurts your equipment. It gets into bearings. It ruins the oil. This makes the machine stop. Downtime costs you money. We need to stop dust at the source. We must contain it. We must collect it. This is the only way.
Data shows the risk. Mining Safety Journal says dust cuts machine life by 30% . This is a huge loss. We must prevent this. Good dust control saves parts. It keeps the motor cool. It keeps the site clean. A clean site is a safe site.
The main dust source is the crusher. We usually use a Jaw Crusher first. Then we use a Cone Crusher. Let us explain how they work.
The Jaw Crusher squeezes rock. It has a fixed plate and a moving plate. The gap is the Closed Side Setting (CSS). For lithium we set CSS to 75mm-100mm. The rock breaks. This creates a puff of dust. The toggle plate drives the jaw. The motor power matches the load. For example a PEW860 uses 132kW. It is strong.
The Cone Crusher is for fine crushing. It spins fast. The mantle wobbles inside the concave. The speed is around 300-350 rpm. This speed makes fine particles. It makes more dust than the jaw. We call this the secondary stage. The reduction ratio is big. It can be 4:1 or 5:1. High reduction means more dust.
Many mines lack water. Or water is too expensive. Can we crush dry? Yes we can. But we need a plan. SBM has a solution. We use air instead of water.
Water sprays are messy. They make mud. Mud blocks the screen. It lowers the yield. Dry processing is cleaner. But it needs air management. We seal the machine. We pull the air out. This keeps dust inside.
The key is negative pressure. We make a vacuum inside the crusher. The dust cannot fly out. It goes into a pipe. The pipe goes to a filter. This is the dry method. It works well for spodumene. It keeps the ore dry. Dry ore is easier to sell.
The best tool is the bag filter. It catches 99.9% of dust. It is very efficient. Let us look at the structure.
The dusty air enters the box. It hits a baffle plate. Big dust falls down. Fine dust goes up. It hits the filter bags. The dust sticks to the bag. Clean air goes out. The fan pulls the air.
The bag gets dirty. We need to clean it. We use a pulse of air. Compressed air blows into the bag. The bag shakes. The dust falls off. It falls into a hopper. We collect this dust. We can sell it. It is lithium powder. It has value.
| Feature | Bag Filter | Cyclone | Wet Scrubber |
|---|---|---|---|
| Efficiency | 99.9% (High) | 70-80% (Medium) | 95% (High) |
| Water Use | Zero | Zero | High |
| Maintenance | Bag Change | Low | Sludge Removal |
| Cost | Medium | Low | High |
Many plants fail here. They buy a filter. But it does not work. Why? The airflow is wrong. You need the right calculation.
The air speed must be correct. In the pipe it should be 18-22 m/s. If too slow dust settles. It blocks the pipe. If too fast it wears the pipe. SBM engineers calculate this. We use fluid dynamics.
You also need hoods. A hood covers the leak point. The belt drop point is bad. Rock falls and dust flies. We put a hood there. The hood must be tight. Air leaks are bad. They waste energy. Good sealing saves power. It makes the fan work better.
Let me tell you a story. A client in Pilbara had a problem. They process 300 tons per hour. The ore is very hard. The dust was terrible.
They used SBM equipment. They had a C6X Jaw Crusher. They had two HST Cone Crushers. The dust covered the solar panels. The neighbors complained. We fixed it.
We installed a DMC Pulse Bag Filter. We sealed the screens. We sealed the conveyors. We changed the air pipes. The result was good. The dust dropped to 10mg/m3. This is below the limit. The client was happy. He said “SBM saved our permit”. The plant runs clean now.
Another case is in Africa. This was a 200 tph plant. The ore is lepidolite. It is brittle. It makes a lot of flour. The local water is scarce.
They chose SBM again. We used a modular design. The plant is compact. Less pipe means less dust. We used a vibrating feeder with a cover. The primary jaw has a dust hood.
The cone crusher is the key. We used the HST Single Cylinder Cone. It has a dust seal ring. This prevents dust leak. We connected it to a central filter. The collected dust is packed. They sell it as filler. This turns waste into cash. The ROI improved by 5%. This is smart mining.
Buying is easy. Running is hard. You must maintain the system. If you ignore it it fails. Here is what to do.
Check the bags often. Look for holes. If a bag breaks dust escapes. You see smoke from the stack. Change the bag fast. SBM bags have a snap ring. It is easy to change. It takes 5 minutes.
Check the fan belt. A loose belt means low air. Low air means dust stays. Tighten the belt. Check the airlock valve. It empties the dust hopper. If it jams dust builds up. It fills the filter. The system stops. Clean the valve weekly. This is simple work.
Pain Point 1: Bags clog too fast. why does this happen? Usually moisture. Is the air wet? You need a heater. Or the air speed is too low. We increase the fan speed.
Pain Point 2: High power cost. why is the bill high? Maybe the fan is too big. Or the damper is open too wide. We use a VFD. It controls the fan speed. It matches the need. It saves 20% power.
Pain Point 3: Pipe wear. why do pipes break? The dust is abrasive. Lithium is hard. We use lined pipes. We use rubber or ceramic. It lasts 5 times longer. It costs more but pays off.
Q1: Can I use water spray with the bag filter? No you should not. Water makes mud in the bag. The bag will blind. Air cannot pass. The filter will fail. Keep the gas dry. If you must spray use very little fog.
Q2: How often do I change filter bags? It depends on the dust load. Usually every 6 to 12 months. If you use SBM high quality bags it lasts longer. Monitor the pressure drop. If it is high change the bags.
Q3: Does the dust collector affect crusher capacity? Yes it helps. Negative pressure helps material flow. It removes fine stuff. The crusher breathes better. It runs cooler. Efficiency goes up. It is a win win situation.
Dust control is not optional. It is a must. You need a plan. You need the right gear. Do not go cheap. Cheap filters leak.
Choose SBM. We know crushing. We know dust. We integrate both. We calculate the air. We design the pipe. We give you a guarantee. Your mine will be safe. Your workers will be healthy.
Look at the total cost. A good system runs long. It needs less repair. It saves parts. The ROI is good. Invest in clean air. It pays back fast. Contact SBM today. Let us design your plant.
