Lithium demand looks ready to skyrocket with the rising need for electric vehicle (EV) batteries and stationary energy storage systems. To support sustainable lithium extraction, a piece of industrial equipment invented in the 19th has become essential to the metal’s processing.

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Industrial rotary dryers are widely used today in the processing of lithium. As mining equipment, they’ve been used for the processing of an array of other minerals as well, including aluminum, chromite, graphite, manganese, phosphorus and zinc.

Some advantages of industrial rotary dryers include:

• Accepts more flue gasses than other dryer styles
• Cost-efficient due to lower need for maintenance
• Highest capacity of any industrial dryer
• Less sensitivity to particle size

The basic parts of an industrial rotary dryer include:

• Dryer shell: Typically made from rolled mild steel plate that is welded into a cylinder.
• Refractory lining: Typically, when drying materials at elevated temperatures, an internal lining made from either cast concrete or refractory bricks is used to thermal protect the dryer shell. The lining can also be used to minimize abrasion and/or corrosion from the materials processed.
• Riding rings: Also known as tires, these support the dryer shell at the ends an are normally each made from a non-welded steel forging. The riding rings are machined so that the dryer shell rotates smoothly.
• Support rollers: Also known as trunnions, these support the riding rings. Each riding ring is paired with two support rollers equipped with shafts and made from non-welded steel forgings. The rollers are machined for smooth shell rotation.
• Roller bearings: These support the shafts of the support rollers. Each shaft is paired with two bearings. Though capable of handling high five loads and temperature exposure, they require protection from dust and heat from the dryer.
• Holding rollers: Also known as thrust rollers, these rollers usually rest against the riding ring’s sides, support the dryer, and keep it from slipping off the support rollers. The holding rollers can withstand the axial forces of the shell movement.
• Shell main drive: The shell main drive can be sprocket & chain type for lower power requirements or ring and pinion gear type for the larger dryers. The chain drive will be more accommodating to any axial and radial movement of the dryer shell. The drive can be constant or variable speed, the latter control is used to allow wider control of the drying time.
• Auxiliary drive: As it’s dangerous for an industrial rotary dryer to stand stationary should the power to the drive fail, typically there’s a backup drive powered by a smaller electric motor that uses an independent power source, though this may instead involve various other sources, eg., compressed air cylinder, fuel-powered generator, etc..