en.Wedoany.com Reported - A research team from the National Center for Comprehensive Processing of Mineral Raw Materials in Kazakhstan announced in early July 2026 that they have successfully developed a comprehensive processing technology for low-grade lithium aluminosilicate ores. Based on the carbothermic reduction smelting process, this technology enables near-complete separation of lithium from aluminosilicate components.
According to a statement from the press service of the Ministry of Industry and Construction of Kazakhstan, the technology was developed by the research team at the National Center for Comprehensive Processing of Mineral Raw Materials. This center is a key scientific institution in Kazakhstan in the field of mineral raw material processing, with six branches dedicated to providing technological solutions for mineral resource processing.
The core of this technology is the carbothermic reduction smelting process. Compared to traditional methods, this process allows lithium to be enriched in slag in a chemically active form, significantly simplifying subsequent lithium salt extraction procedures. In addition to lithium concentrate, the technology can simultaneously produce ФС45 grade ferroalloys, which are widely used in the metallurgical industry.
In terms of key indicators, this technology can process low-grade lithium ores into concentrates with a lithium oxide content of 12% to 14%. Project leader and Candidate of Technical Sciences Feruza Berdikulova stated that this content is more than double that of traditional processes, which typically achieve only 5% to 6% lithium oxide concentration at the same stage.
The technology also offers significant environmental advantages. Compared to traditional processes, it substantially reduces the use of corrosive solutions such as sulfuric acid, lowering the environmental load during production. At the same time, the technology enables the cost-effective development of low-grade deposits and mine waste rock previously considered to have no industrial value.
Lithium is a core raw material for electric vehicle batteries, energy storage systems, and mobile electronic devices. The continuous growth in global lithium demand has increasingly highlighted the strategic importance of lithium resource processing technologies. Kazakhstan possesses considerable lithium ore resources, with proven remaining reserves of approximately 36,300 tons of lithium oxide and predicted resources exceeding 140,000 tons. The successful development of this technology is expected to expand Kazakhstan's raw material base for strategic minerals and enhance its position in the global lithium supply chain.
