Lithium ore in Brazil

Abstract

Brazil, one of the largest countries in the world both in territory and in population, has a vast range of mineral resources, as well as a large industrial plant in full development. The country is both a lithium producer and a consumer at a moderate level now, and there is potential for medium-range growth. Forecasting the future of the lithium industry in Brazil is difficult because of uncertainties in both the producing and consuming industries. The pressure of demand will be the main incentive factor in the exploration and production of lithium ores in Brazil.Presently, Brazil uses lithium ores in the manufacture of ceramics, enamels and special glasses, and annually consumes about 1600 tons of petalite, 1200 tons of lepidolite, and 800 tons of spodumene. Brazil also uses lithium-based chemical products, and consumes about 1000 tons per year of amblygonite for their manufacture. All these minerals are produced in Brazilian territory, and fair quantities of the excess petalite are exported to the United States and Japan at about 2500 tons per year.Brazilian production entirely from pegmatite deposits located in the Eastern part of the Brazilian shield and mainly in the district of Araçuai-Itinga (northern Minas Gerais State). The known reserves of lithium pegmatites are not well measured, but available data indicate that the small sizes of these bodies compared with the bigger ones of Kings Mountain, Bikita and elsewhere, are largely compensated by their large numbers and their geographic occurrence. These features present the possibility of considerable reserves, particularly of spodumene and petalite. These reserves are not less than 25,000 tons of lithium, based on studies already performed in some deposits. Additionally, there is evidence that in the district of Araçuai-Itinga there are occurrences of lithium brines in basins of accumulation. This may also be true of some areas of Brazilian Northeast. In order to prove this hypothesis, Arqueana de Minerios e Metais is preparing a program of systematical sampling.Brazilian consumption for conventional purposes, either of ores or of lithium-based chemical products, will increase with the development of the Brazilian economy. Brazil still has a long way to go to reach the level of consumption of America, Europe of Japan. As an example of this perspective, it is worth mentioning that Brazil does not yet use lithium carbonate for the reduction of aluminum, nor is lithium ore used in the manufacture of heat-resistant glass and ceramics. Besides these potential factors for increasing consumption, consideration must be given to the possibility of new uses of lithium as in thermonuclear power generation, the development of which is already underway in Brazil. Another new use is in lithium batteries for electric cars and, if this application becomes a reality, Brazil will be a big consumer, ranking at the same level as the most developed countries in the world, with the advantage of being one of the few countries capable of producing its own raw material.