International Lithium Begins Brine Evaporation Process Studies on the Mariana Project, Argentina

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[{"type":"text","content":"International Lithium Begins Brine Evaporation Process Studies on the Mariana Project, ArgentinaVANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / January 19, 2016 / International Lithium Corp. (TSXV: ILC.V) (the \"Company\" or \"ILC\") is pleased to announce that together with strategic partner Ganfeng Lithium Co. Ltd., (\"GFL\") the 2016 exploration and development work on the Mariana joint venture project has begun.\nAs previously announced on December 10, 2015 the companies have allocated a budget of approximately US $3,190,000 dedicated to the Mariana Lithium project in Argentina. The first phase of this budget includes conducting bench scale evaporation tests at the Universidad Técnica de Oruro (\"UTO\") in Bolivia.\nThe company has contracted Door To Design, Inc. to oversee the test work conducted at UTO. The goal of the tests is to study the evaporation path of lithium-potassium-boron brine from Salar de Llullaillaco where the Mariana joint venture owns 100% of the mineral rights. Door to Design staff have significant previous experience with similar projects in Argentina and Chile.\nUnderstanding the natural evaporation path and how to effectively control it is paramount in the development of a process to 1) selectively precipitate key potassium and boron ore minerals and 2) remove impurities, leaving a by-product of lithium concentrate brine that can be further processed to produce other lithium products.\nUniversidad Técnica de Oruro was chosen for these tests because it is located in the Altiplano plateau, which is the Bolivian extension of the Puna in northwestern Argentina where Salar de Llullaillaco is located. Salar de Llullaillaco is approximately 3,800 metres and UTO 3,600 metres above sea level, resulting in the testing laboratory having similar weather and atmospheric conditions to the project area. Similar conditions are important to maximize the predictive ability of the study results. Evaporation bench tests are anticipated to take approximately five months.\nMr. Kirill Klip, President, International Lithium Corp. comments, \"We are very pleased to be starting the first stage of our 2016 program with Ganfeng at Salar de Llullaillaco. The results of this work will prepare us for larger scale field tests at the salar.\nThe newly elected government in Argentina is taking several steps that will improve operating conditio...

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