Lithium Australia (ASX:LIT) has put the company's Sileach™ process in the hydrometallurgical limelight having exceeded quality specifications for the production of lithium carbonate.
Operations undertaken at ANSTO Minerals (a division of the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation) have demonstrated the production of battery grade lithium carbonate.
The lithium carbonate feed was produced by Lithium Australia’s Sileach™ pilot plant, processing ore from Lepidolite Hill in Western Australia.
The refinement of the lithium carbonate produced during piloting was undertaken using a bicarbonate – carbonate re-precipitation approach, widely adopted in the lithium chemicals industry.
The quality of the lithium carbonate meets or exceeds the specification of battery grade lithium carbonate produced by one of the world’s largest suppliers of lithium chemicals, FMC Lithium.
Adrian Griffin, managing director, commented:
"We have demonstrated the ability to process complex lithium ores, without the requirement of the traditional and expensive roasting step.
"We anticipate generating similar ground-breaking results with the production of lithium carbonate from Pilbara Minerals’ Pilgangoora spodumene concentrates, later this month."
Analysis
The production of high-quality carbonate demonstrates the ability to produce commercial products from a range of silicate materials, some of which are not commonly processed to produce lithium chemicals, due to limitations in existing processing routes.
This outstanding result is a significant prelude to continuous Sileach™ pilot plant operations on spodumene concentrates from Pilbara Minerals’ (ASX:PLS) Pilgangoora project.
More details are expected by the end of the month.
Shares in Lithium Australia last traded at $0.185, or about one-third higher than the start of 2017.