Infinity Lithium Corporation Ltd (ASX:INF) and subsidiary Infinity GreenTech Pty Ltd have broadened the scope of their lithium processing test-work to determine if the company’s more environmentally friendly process can be economically applied to other lithium-bearing materials to exploit smaller-scale resources present at the San José Lithium Project in Spain.
Bench-scale tests are proceeding on schedule with locked-cycle test-work (LCT) underway. The LCT testing is intended to provide benchmarks and key process design criteria for further large-scale testing and is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2022.
Infinity has advanced the design and layout of the pilot-scale activities, including lodging orders for specialist equipment, due to be delivered in Q1 2022.
The company believes that installation of the specialist equipment will allow for a considerable acceleration of lab-scale test-work and the start of pilot-scale test-work.
Broadened testing scope
The LCT and pilot-scale test-work have been designed to investigate two complementary processes that use Run-of-Mine (ROM) lithium-bearing mica ore from the San José Project.
INF has broadened the scope of intended testing to include other lithium-bearing materials, primarily focused on micas such as lepidolite and zinnwaldite, lithium-containing clays such as hectorite, and complex lacustrine materials such as jaderite.
The test-work for these other materials is expected to begin in parallel to the current testing efforts in the first quarter of next year.
Infinity is anticipating the successful installation of ordered pilot-scale equipment by Q2 2022, with test-work of that scale to begin as soon as possible and results expected in Q3 2022.
The company believes this broadened scope of testing will allow it to exploit comparatively small-scale resources from the project through less expensive on-site processing.
GreenTech process
Infinity GreenTech is progressing the development and commercialisation of sustainable and low carbon footprint lithium hard rock processing technologies and has lodged provisional patent applications for sustainable and novel lithium hydrometallurgical conversion processes.
Read: Infinity Lithium launches next generation green lithium processing technology
According to Infinity, the processing route has environmental benefits including less waste, reduced emissions and a minimised CO2 footprint. It uses non-toxic, inexpensive and readily available reagents that are recyclable in a closed-loop.
Additionally, the ability to minimise the end product carbon footprint through reagent recycling and minimising energy inputs can be complemented with the use of renewable energies including the potential for green hydrogen.
About Infinity Lithium
Infinity Lithium is an Australian listed minerals company that is seeking to develop its 75%-owned San José Lithium Project in Spain.
The proposed fully integrated industrial project is focused on the production of battery-grade lithium chemicals from a mica feedstock that represents the EU’s second-largest JORC-compliant hard rock lithium deposit.