Strategic Metallurgy, in association with Lepidico, has developed a hydrometallurgical process to extract and recover battery grade lithium carbonate from lithium containing mica.

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APPLICATION

Lithium bearing micas such as lepidolite and zinnwaldite have largely been overlooked until the advent of L-Max® as a source of lithium as no commercially viable process existed to recover this metal, which is essential for many new battery technologies.

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PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS

• Flowsheet development – Lepidolite flotation

• Flowsheet development – L-Max®

• Testwork management

• Miniplant construction and operation- 140h continuous operation

       to produce lithium carbonate with a purity >99.5% at 94% recovery from

       the leach liquor.​

• Feasibility study- 91.3% lithium recovery to a >99.5% lithium carbonate concentrate

 

STATUS

International Patent Application PCT/AU2015/000608-pending

Feasibility Study-ongoing

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