Today, with the vigorous development of the battery industry, natural graphite is an important battery material, and it is very important to overcome the key links and technical difficulties of its mining, mineral processing and purification process.

The exploitation of natural graphite is the basic link of the whole process. The key is to accurately find high quality graphite ore source. This requires professional geological exploration technology and experienced exploration team. In the mining process, appropriate mining methods, such as open pit mining or underground mining, must be used, while ensuring the safety of the mining process and minimal impact on the environment. One of the technical difficulties lies in how to efficiently mine graphite ore under complex geological conditions while avoiding damage to the surrounding ecological environment. For example, when mining in some mountainous areas, potential risks such as landslides and soil erosion need to be addressed. In addition, the selection and maintenance of mining equipment is also key. Efficient and reliable mining equipment can improve mining efficiency and ore quality.

Mineral processing is an important step to determine the quality of natural graphite. First of all, it is necessary to carry out preliminary crushing and screening of the mined ore to decompose the large pieces of ore into the appropriate particle size. Then, according to the difference of physical and chemical properties between graphite and other impurity minerals, different beneficiation methods are adopted. Common beneficiation methods include flotation and gravity separation. In the process of flotation, the key link is to select the appropriate flotation reagent and adjust the flotation process parameters, such as reagent dosage, flotation time, pulp concentration and so on. The technical difficulty lies in how to accurately control these parameters in order to achieve effective separation of graphite and impurities. For example, improper selection of flotation reagents may result in reduced recovery of graphite or incomplete removal of impurities. The re-selection law needs to be separated according to the density difference between graphite and impurities, which requires precise equipment debugging and operation to ensure the stability of the separation effect.

The purification process is the core link to upgrade natural graphite to battery-specific requirements. High-temperature purification is a common method in which impurities are volatilized or oxidatively decomposed by heating graphite at a high temperature. The key is to control the heating temperature and time. Too low temperature cannot effectively remove impurities, and too high temperature may affect the crystal structure and performance of graphite. Another common purification method is chemical purification, which uses a chemical reagent to react with the impurities and remove them from the graphite. The technical difficulties are mainly reflected in how to choose the appropriate chemical reagents and reaction conditions to ensure the thoroughness of the removal of impurities, while avoiding damage to the graphite itself. For example, some strong corrosive chemical reagents may destroy the surface structure of graphite while removing impurities, affecting its performance in the battery.

In order to improve the purity and quality of natural graphite to meet battery-specific requirements, continuous technological innovation and process optimization are required. On the one hand, new mineral processing and purification equipment can be developed to improve the degree of automation and separation efficiency of the equipment. For example, the use of advanced intelligent flotation equipment can monitor and adjust the parameters in the flotation process in real time to achieve more accurate beneficiation. On the other hand, we should strengthen the research on the purification process and explore new purification technologies and methods. For example, purification combined with biotechnology and selective decomposition of impurities by microorganisms or biological enzymes have the potential to be environmentally friendly and efficient.

At the same time, the establishment of a strict quality inspection system is also essential. Through the use of advanced detection instruments and methods, such as X-ray fluorescence spectrometer, scanning electron microscope, etc., the purity, particle size, crystal structure and other key indicators of natural graphite are accurately detected. According to the test results, the mining, beneficiation and purification processes are adjusted in time to ensure that each batch of natural graphite can meet the high quality standards for batteries.

In short, the mining, beneficiation and purification process of natural graphite involves many key links and technical difficulties. It needs continuous technology research and development, equipment upgrading and process optimization to improve its purity and quality, make it a high-quality material to meet the needs of the battery industry, and provide a solid foundation for the improvement of battery performance and the sustainable development of the industry.