Century Lithium Corp. (TSX-V:LCE, OTCQX:CYDVF) announced that its Nevada Pilot Plant successfully produced lithium carbonate with a purity of up to 99.2%, marking significant progress in its lithium extraction process.
The results come from the initial startup phase, during which five 40-liter lots of concentrated lithium solution were processed.
Lithium carbonate produced from each batch weighed approximately four kilograms.
The process involved precipitation using sodium carbonate, followed by washing and drying stages. Notably, the purity of the lithium carbonate improved across the five batches, with adjustments made in collaboration with Hargrove Engineers and Constructors to reduce sodium and other impurities.
"For an initial run, these results are very encouraging," said Bill Willoughby, CEO of Century Lithium.
"Lithium carbonate greater than 99.5% purity is typically considered battery grade. These results show we are close and have identified steps to improve further,” Willoughby told investors.
“Also, importantly, where we previously shipped concentrated lithium solution to be treated offsite, we are now able to do this at the Pilot Plant and show we have an end-to-end process that works."
Century Lithium continues to refine its production process, with ongoing efforts to enhance the purity of its lithium carbonate, a key material in the rapidly growing battery industry.