Century Lithium Corp. (TSXV: LCE | OTCQX: CYDVF | Frankfurt: C1Z) has reported the successful addition of a lithium carbonate stage at the company’s lithium extraction facility (pilot plant) in Amargosa Valley, Nevada, US.
Prior to this addition, concentrated lithium solutions from the pilot plant were treated by Saltworks Inc. at their facility in Richmond BC where samples of battery quality lithium carbonate were produced. During the first days of startup of the lithium carbonate stage, Century’s team at the pilot plant successfully treated 200L of concentrated lithium solution and produced 20kg of high-grade lithium carbonate onsite.
“At this point in time, the ability to make lithium carbonate at our pilot plant is an important step forward, in line with recommendations from our recently completed feasibility study” commented president and CEO, Bill Willoughby. “The drop in lithium prices over the last year has taken a toll on the share price of all lithium companies. Despite the downturn, domestic production is still key to the security of supply in the US. While it is becoming well known that a vast amount of lithium is contained within the claystone deposits of Nevada, the benefit in unlocking these resources is the ability to produce a battery quality lithium product onsite and thereby reducing or eliminating the need for downstream processing.”
The company continues work at the pilot plant, utilizing its patent-pending process for chloride leaching combined with direct lithium extraction (DLE) to generate data as the company works to identify further technological breakthroughs to make the extraction of lithium from clay more economic.
Adding the lithium carbonate stage at the pilot plant is one of the recommendations made in the feasibility study, not only to further demonstrate that battery quality lithium carbonate can be made, but to better understand and minimize the recycle streams from the DLE stage through to final product in the process.
To find out more, please visit www.centurylithium.com
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