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Avalon Advances Lithium Process Optimization Work for its Proposed Phase 1 Production Facility at Separation Rapids Lithium Project
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - November 16, 2017) - Avalon Advanced Materials Inc. ( ...
About this update from Avalon Advanced Materials Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":"Avalon Advances Lithium Process Optimization Work for its Proposed Phase 1 Production Facility at Separation Rapids Lithium ProjectToronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - November 16, 2017) - Avalon Advanced Materials Inc. (TSX: AVL) (OTCQX: AVLNF) (\"Avalon\" or the \"Company\") is pleased to report that it is proceeding with three key metallurgical testwork programs designed to optimize its lithium process flowsheets and prepare for final design and engineering of its Phase 1 demonstration scale production facility at Separation Rapids near Kenora, ON. These programs will target improved recoveries, increased concentrate grades, lower operating costs, reduced reagent consumption and a further reduction in waste materials requiring disposal.Lepidolite Recovery and Flotation Testwork Further to the Company's news releases dated October 26, 2017 (http://avalonadvancedmaterials.com/news_media/display/index.php?id=29974), Avalon is proceeding with further testwork to optimize the flowsheet designed for recovery of a concentrate of lepidolite. Lepidolite is a second lithium ore mineral (in addition to petalite) estimated to constitute approximately 20% of the known lithium resource at Separation Rapids. Previous testwork has already demonstrated that a lepidolite flotation concentrate assaying 4.5% lithium oxide (Li2O) can be readily recovered from Separation Rapids ore. The current lepidolite testwork is designed to confirm or improve upon the 90% recovery previously achieved, as well as to increase the Li2O content of the concentrate.The Company continues to receive expressions of interest from international lithium processors interested in securing lepidolite concentrates. Improvements in lepidolite concentrate grade will make Avalon's product more attractive and reduce unit transportation costs per tonne of Li2O delivered. The flotation testwork will also include additional work on the petalite concentrate flowsheet through further locked-cycle tests that will generate additional petalite concentrate for product marketing purposes and hydrometallurgical process optimization. Finally, the current flotation flowsheets for both petalite and lepidolite include an initial magnetic separation stage to remove iron-bearing minerals from these concentrates. Since the main iron-bearing minerals in the ore are micas that also contain significa...