Spodumene Recovery Methods at Sayona’s NAL Expansion

Source: Sayona Inc (2026)
Website: https://www.elevra.com/

Critical Data

Overview

Sayona Inc. operates the North American Lithium (NAL) Expansion Project, a brownfields expansion of an existing spodumene concentrator located in Québec, Canada. The facility, originally authorized at 4,500 tpd, is being upgraded to a design capacity of 6,500 tpd to produce high-grade spodumene concentrate (SC5.4) through a combination of crushing, ore sorting, grinding, magnetic separation, and flotation. The expansion leverages existing infrastructure alongside new greenfield crushing and concentrating circuits to achieve an overall lithium recovery of 71.2%, up from the current 69.2%. The process design is based on historical operational data, metallurgical testwork, and supplier equipment specifications. Key innovations include XRT-based ore sorting to upgrade ROM feed, additional WHIMS capacity for iron removal, and a covered crushed ore stockpile ensuring consistent feed moisture. The project is a Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) and represents a significant step in increasing North American lithium production to support the electric vehicle supply chain. The recovery methods emphasize reducing iron content entering the flotation circuit and optimizing grind size to improve metallurgical performance. With a target concentrator feed grade of 1.11% Li2O, the expansion aims to produce a saleable spodumene concentrate while managing tailings through a high-rate thickener. The facility operates 24/7 with a 92% availability for the concentrator section, and a 9-month ramp-up is planned post-expansion.

Key Process Stages

• Stage 1: Primary & Secondary Crushing and Ore Sorting – ROM feed (top size 900 mm) is crushed in a primary crusher (CSS 130 mm) and secondary crusher (CSS 90 mm). Oversized material is screened at 90 mm and recrushed. Undersize feeds the Sorter Screen where material is split into four fractions (-90+75 mm, -75+50 mm, -50+25 mm, -25 mm). Each fraction is processed by XRT ore sorters to remove waste; rejects are trucked to mine waste. Washed -90+75 mm sort product feeds the sorter screen and -4 mm fines go directly to Concentrator 1 rod mill.
• Stage 2: Tertiary Crushing and Fine Ore Storage – Sorted products are fed to a tertiary crusher (CSS 18 mm) in closed circuit with a screen (cut size 20 mm). Screen undersize (P80 8 mm) is conveyed to a weatherproof Covered Stockpile with 15,000 tonnes live capacity. Two reclaim tunnels, each with dual feeders, supply the existing Concentrator 1 and new Concentrator 2, providing redundancy and consistent feed.
• Stage 3: Grinding and Desliming – Concentrator 1 (existing): open-circuit rod mill followed by a ball mill in closed circuit with 6 Stack Sizer screens (oversize P80 970 µm); undersize (P80 225 µm) deslimed via 17 cyclones (D50 10 µm). Concentrator 2 (new): single-stage ball mill in closed circuit with 4 mill cyclones targeting P80 200 µm; overflow deslimed by 12 cyclones. Slimes report to tailings thickener.
• Stage 4: Magnetic Separation – Deslimed underflow is diluted and processed through a low-intensity magnetic separator (LIMS) followed by wet high-intensity magnetic separators (WHIMS). Concentrator 1 uses 2 duty WHIMS plus 1 new standby (3 total); Concentrator 2 uses 1 duty/1 standby WHIMS. Magnetics are removed and sent to tailings. Non-magnetic slurry proceeds to conditioning with fatty acid collector at 55% solids.
• Stage 5: Spodumene Flotation and Dewatering – Conditioned slurry (40% solids) enters the rougher flotation bank (3 cells for existing, 4 for new). Rougher tailings are scavenged via deslime cyclones, conditioning, and a scavenger flotation bank. Rougher and scavenger concentrates combine for cleaner circuit: Cleaner 1, Cleaner 2, and Cleaner 3 (respectively 18, 13, 19 cells in existing; 8, 7, 6 cells in new). Final Cleaner 3 concentrate is dewatered on horizontal belt filters (32 m²) to 8% moisture, then stored in a covered building for truck dispatch.

Additional Interesting Data and Summary

The NAL Expansion Project, a Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) for Sayona Inc., aims to increase spodumene concentrate production from 4,200 tpd to 6,500 tpd through greenfield crushing and ore sorting, plus a new Concentrator 2. The existing crushing circuit (65% availability) is replaced by a new integrated circuit with a C150 primary crusher, XRT ore sorters, and a covered stockpile (15,000 t live) to eliminate rehandle and weather impacts. Concentrator availability improves to 92% via staggered maintenance. Iron removal is enhanced by adding a third WHIMS in Concentrator 1 and parallel WHIMS in Concentrator 2, addressing operational data showing iron’s negative impact on flotation. The tailings thickener (27 m diameter, high-rate) concentrates all tailings streams to 50% solids for disposal, with overflow recycled to process water. The expansion integrates concentrate storage into the existing building, reducing rehandle. Ramp-up over 9 months achieves 60% of aggregate production during that period. Future testwork is recommended to optimize grind size (single-stage ball mill modeling), XRT sorting, and solid-liquid separation. The project supports North American lithium supply chains for EVs. Environmental impact is mitigated by increased water reuse and reduced waste through ore sorting. Economic significance: producing high-grade SC5.4 concentrate at 71.2% recovery boosts revenue per tonne. Sustainability initiatives include using existing infrastructure where possible and minimizing downtime. Forward-looking statements note that future authorizations are expected and additional testwork will refine recovery models based on feed variability. The facility operates with 12-hour shifts (4 crews rotating 7/7) for processing plant personnel. This expansion positions Sayona as a key domestic lithium producer in Québec.

Key Processes: Flotation, Gravity Separation, Ball Mill, Crushing

Target Commodities: Lithium