Extraction and processing
Source: http://aheadoftheherd.com/Newsletter/2011/Brine-Mining-for-Potash-and-Lithium.htm
* Enirgi Group Corporation announced
in 2014 a new proprietary lithium extraction technology that produces
lithium directly from raw brine at commercial volumes; radically reduces
processing time from the conventional 500+ days to less than 24 hours.
It totally eliminates the need for capital intensive mega-evaporation
pond infrastructure.
* ERAMET has
also developed an innovative Direct Extraction Process to extract the
lithium contained in the brine; this process is lower-cost and more
environmentally-friendly than the conventional evaporation method of
obtaining lithium. The proprietary technology was developed by ERAMET’s
leading Research and Development Center, ERAMET Research (based near
Paris, France) in partnership with the French Petroleum and Renewable
Energy Institute (IFP Energies Nouvelles).
POSCO (NYSE:PKX) has developed their own secretive lithium extraction technique, since 2010, possibly using leaching. It is reported to have an 80-90% lithium recovery rate when using it on brine, and taking just 8 hours. POSCO commissioned a 2,500 ton per year lithium carbonate plant early 2017 at its Gwangyang Works plant in Korea and is anticipated to help supply its battery making partners LG Chem and Samsung SDI, as well a subsidiary company that produces cathodes for secondary batteries.
* Tenova Bateman has
developed a lithium "solvent extraction" technology they call "LiSX".
LiSX technology achieved spectacular results at bench scale with 100%
Lithium extraction at robust purity, lithium chloride solution
(>99.9%), in just 1 day. Tenova are currently working with several
lithium miners such as Pure Energy (HMGLF) (NYSE:PE), Orocobre (OTCPK:OROCF) (ASX:ORE), and Lithium Americas (OTCQX:LACDF) [TSX:LAC].
* Neometals (OTC:RRSSF) (NYSE:NMT)
has developed the ELi Process. The ELi process converts spodumene
concentrate into a high purity lithium chloride solution, then uses
"electrolysis" to produce high purity lithium hydroxide and lithium
carbonate. Put simply the
plant takes in lithium ore or brine, adds hydrochloric Acid (HCl)),
then using electrolysis splits the compound to separate out the lithium
to form lithium hydroxide.
* Nemaska Lithium (OTCQX:NMKEF) [TSX:NMX] have stated they estimate their cost of lithium hydroxide production will be very competitive at USD 2,154/tonne also using electrolysis.
- Membrane Development Specialists has developed new membrane technologies enabling the recovery of lithium from lithium clay. Due to the dilute lithium concentration of clays, achieving efficient recovery is quite challenging. MDS’ patent-pending process involves acid digestion of clays with proprietary NF, ultrafiltration (UF) and reverse-osmosis (RO) membrane processes.
A study, undertaken by South Africa’s Synexus
using raw brine from the Salar de Llullaillaico location of Mariana,
indicates that the selective recovery of lithium directly from raw
(filtered) brine, with the simultaneous rejection of other cation and
anion species, using a proprietary lithium selective separation process,
is possible.
Processing plants at Greenbushes Mine, Australia
The
two lithium plants receive crushed ore from a four stage crushing
plant. The ore is then taken to the ROM pad where it is stockpiled
according to ore type, mineralogical characteristics and grade. The
technical grade plant
is fed with lithium ore types in which the iron content of the
spodumene is sufficiently low to enable production of higher grade
lithium concentrates containing low levels of Fe2O3.
Crushed ore is fed by front-end loader from stockpiles to a feed bin
from which it is discharged at a rate of between 27 tph and 30 tph to
the wet grinding circuit. The grinding circuit comprises two ball mills
closed by 700 µm aperture vibrating screens, which produce material
ground to 80% finer than approximately 450 µm. Ground technical grade
feed is treated in a series of gravity, magnetic separation and
flotation stages to produce the range of technical grade concentrates
before these are filtered and dried. The concentrate contains around 94%
spodumene. The chemical grade plant is
fed with ore in which the iron content of the spodumene is too high to
produce lithium concentrates meeting the specifications of technical
grade plant products. Chemical grade ore is processed at a rate of 160
tph through milling to 3mm and processing by gravity separation and
flotation. The chemical grade product is filtered and transported for
bulk shipment.
Lithium Australia NL ASX:LIT believes disruptive lithium chemical production will power the energy revolution that is transforming the world as we know it. To that end, the Company has developed SiLeach™, an exclusive technology that can process all lithium silicates into battery-grade materials without the need for ‘roasting’.
