Challenges
1. Leakage Hazard from Strongly Acidic Sulfuric Acid Vapor
If high-temperature sulfuric acid vapor leaked, it posed a serious threat not only to equipment corrosion but also to operator safety.
Therefore, mechanical seals were fundamentally unsuitable, and complete containment technology was essential.
2. Corrosive Environment and Limitations of Stainless Steel
Even when a magnetic mixer made of standard SUS 316L was applied, it could not withstand the strongly acidic and high-temperature conditions for more than six months and had to be replaced due to corrosion.
This caused significant production losses and maintenance costs.
3. Physical Abrasion Caused by Particles
Hard particles used to support lithium leaching, along with undissolved particles from ferrite, rotated at high speed and caused physical abrasion by wearing down the impeller and bearings.
As a result, the service life of the agitator was drastically shortened.
SEDNA Solution
1. Hermetic Magnetic Coupling
SEDNA ENG applied a fully enclosed magnetic mixer driven by magnetic force, eliminating the risk of sulfuric acid vapor leakage.
This resolved the most critical issue of operator safety.
2. Advanced Ceramic Coating Technology
To solve both chemical corrosion and physical abrasion, a special ceramic coating was applied to the impeller and all wetted surfaces.
This provided outstanding corrosion resistance and surface hardness compared to standard stainless steel.
3. Extreme-Duty Material Application
For the most abrasion-prone bearing areas, high-hardness SiC silicon carbide bearings were applied instead of ceramic particles.
This allowed stable long-term operation even in harsh acidic and abrasive environments where magnetic coupling isolation and bearing durability are critical.
PROBLEM
SOLUTION
- Results
01
200%+
Lifespan Extension
With ceramic coating and special bearing materials, the agitator service life was extended from 6 months to over 1 year, reducing maintenance costs and OPEX.
02
Zero Emission
& Safety
By completely preventing hazardous sulfuric acid vapor leakage, the system improved operator safety and enabled an environmentally compliant process.
03
Stable Lithium
Recovery
Stable mixing performance was maintained without shutdowns, even in harsh operating conditions, contributing to the target lithium recovery rate.