- Location: Araçuaí–Itinga, Minas Gerais, Brazil – a key region in Brazil’s “Lithium Valley.”
- Operator: Lithium Ionic Corp. (2024 feasibility study, 2025 resource update).
- Throughput: 1.23 Mt/a ROM ore at 1.16% Li₂O, producing 178 kt/a of 5.5% Li₂O concentrate.
- Processing Circuit:
- Crushing: Primary jaw crusher → Secondary cone crusher → Classification screens.
- Pre-concentration: Two ore-sorters remove non-lithium material before DMS.
- Dense Media Separation (DMS): Coarse (-19.1 +7.5 mm) and medium (-7.5 +0.50 mm) fractions processed via cyclones, magnetic separators, and FeSi media recovery.
- Fine Material: -0.50 mm fraction dewatered (thickener + belt filter) and stockpiled for future studies.
- Key Features: No penalty elements, 70% uptime for crushing/sorting, 85% for DMS circuits.
- Sustainability: Reject fines stockpiled for potential future use, reducing waste.
Further Reading
- Bandeira
- Bandeira Lithium Project, Minas Gerais, Brazil
- May 2024 Feasibility Study
- Lithium Ionic Reports Updated Mineral Resource Estimate
Technical report and processing history
The following archived source profiles have been consolidated here to preserve the project’s processing history and study context.
Bandeira Lithium Project — 2025 Technical Report
Bandeira Lithium Project — 2025 Technical Report
| Company | Bandeira Lithium Project |
| Date | 2025-06-06 |
| Commodities | Lithium |
Executive Summary
The Bandeira Lithium Project, located in the Araçuaí—Itinga region of Minas Gerais, Brazil, is an underground mining operation targeting spodumene-bearing pegmatites. The project aims to process 1.23 Mt/a of run-of-mine (ROM) material to produce approximately 178 kt/a of lithium concentrate at a grade of 5.5% Li2O.
The recovery process utilizes a sophisticated comminution and separation circuit, incorporating primary jaw crushing, secondary cone crushing, and ore-sorting technology to remove non-lithium bearing material. The project utilizes Dense Medium Separation (DMS) for recovery, with the plant designed to handle various particle-size fractions to optimize lithium extraction efficiency while managing fines through thickening and belt filtration processes.
Website: https://www.lithiumionic.com/projects/bandeira/
Report Date: 2025-06-06
Region:
Project Status:
Commodity: Lithium
Throughput:
Mine Life:
Mine Type:
Ore type:
Bandeira Lithium Project — 2024 Feasibility Study Technical Report
Bandeira Lithium Project — 2024 Feasibility Study Technical Report
| Company | MGLIT |
| Date | 2024 |
| Region | Minas Gerais, Brazil |
| Commodities | Lithium |
Executive Summary
This NI 43-101 Feasibility Study Technical Report outlines the development of the Bandeira Lithium Project located in the Araçuaí—Itinga corridor, Minas Gerais, Brazil. The project involves the extraction of spodumene-bearing pegmatites via an underground mining operation and processing them into a lithium concentrate. The proposed plant will process 1.23 Mt/a of ROM ore to produce 178 kt/a of concentrate containing 5.5% Li2O.
The processing circuit utilizes a combination of primary and secondary crushing, ore sorting for pre-concentration, and Dense Media Separation (DMS) for coarse and medium fractions. Fines are thickened and filtered for storage. The project aims to minimize environmental impact through dry stack tailings and has secured environmental licensing under the LAC 2 process.
Infrastructure includes semi-modular buildings and a new transmission line, with no on-site camp required. The project is currently in the development phase following the feasibility study completion.
Reports
- entities/Bandeira_Mine
- entities/MGLIT
Website: https://www.lithiumionic.com/projects/bandeira/
Report Date: 2024
Region: Minas Gerais, Brazil
Project Status:
Commodity: Lithium
Throughput:
Mine Life:
Mine Type:
Ore type:
Bandeira Lithium Project — Preliminary Economic Assessment
Bandeira Lithium Project — Preliminary Economic Assessment
| Company | Lithium Ionic Corp. |
| Date | TBD |
| Region | Minas Gerais State, Brazil |
| Commodities | Lithium (Li2O) |
Executive Summary
The Bandeira Lithium Project Preliminary Economic Assessment outlines the technical feasibility of processing spodumene-bearing pegmatite ore in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Preliminary metallurgical tests conducted by SGS Geosol, Sepro Minerals, and TOMRA indicated that a combination of ore sorting and dense media separation (DMS) is the optimal recovery method. Tests showed that ore sorting could enrich the feed grade by 25-26% with 91-94% lithium recovery, while DMS tests achieved 74.8% recovery for a concentrate grade of 5.50% Li2O.
The proposed beneficiation plant is designed to process 1.3 Mt of ore annually with an operating regime of 6,132 hours per year. The expected average feed content is 1.41% Li2O, targeting a metallurgical recovery of 63% and producing 208 Ktpa of concentrate for export. The flowsheet includes crushing, pre-concentration via ore sorter, DMS circuits for coarse and fines, and a filter circuit for dewatering.
The process flow begins with underground mining ROM material fed into a primary jaw crusher and secondary cone crusher. Material is screened and processed through ore sorters to remove shale. The remaining material undergoes DMS in rougher and scavenger stages using cyclones. Fines are managed via wet screening and thickening. The final concentrate is stacked with low moisture content, while tailings are managed in specific piles. Flotation is considered for future processing of fines.
Website: https://www.lithiumionic.com/projects/bandeira/
Report Date: TBD
Region: Minas Gerais State, Brazil
Project Status:
Commodity: Lithium (Li2O)
Throughput:
Mine Life:
Mine Type:
Ore type:
