Century Lithium Corp. (TSX-V:LCE, OTCQX:CYDVF) announced that it has achieved battery-grade lithium carbonate production at its lithium extraction facility in Amargosa Valley, Nevada, in the United States.
Assay results from the second batch of lithium carbonate at the Pilot Plant indicated a purity of 99.5%, which is considered battery grade.
The company was able to improve the lithium carbonate purity to 99.5% after addressing a mechanical issue, with impurities of concern including sodium and calcium reduced.
"These results mark yet another accomplishment by our Pilot Plant team," CEO Bill Willoughby said in a statement.
"Until recently, we have focused on producing a concentrated lithium chloride solution, a representative portion of which we shipped offsite for conversion.”
Willoughby explained that the company chose to focus on lithium carbonate as the end-product for its project because it was a “natural fit” for the approach it developed for processing.
“With the ability to generate lithium carbonate samples onsite, the Pilot Plant is a more complete representation of the processes involved in a full-scale operation, and we can now supply lithium carbonate samples for testing by prospective partners and end-users,” he said.
The company said it continues to advance the Pilot Plant, with a focus on design and engineering that will support reduced capital requirements in the overall process.