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International Lithium Receives Proof of Concept Study for Lithium Recovery Using Membrane Separation
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 5, 2017) - International Lithium Corp...
About this update from Ilc Critical Minerals Limited
[{"type":"text","content":"International Lithium Receives Proof of Concept Study for Lithium Recovery Using Membrane SeparationVancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 5, 2017) - International Lithium Corp. (TSXV: ILC) (the \"Company\" or \"ILC\") is pleased to announce that it has received a final report, \"Proof of Concept Study — Lithium Recovery Using Membrane Separation\" (the \"Study\") prepared by Synexus (Pty) Limited of South Africa (\"Synexus\"). The Study was conducted utilizing (filtered) raw brine from the Salar de Llullaillaico, location of the Mariana lithium brine joint venture project (\"Mariana\") in Salta, Argentina. Results from the Study indicate 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 (the \"technology\") is possible. Lithium was selectively recovered from the raw brine to produce lithium hydroxide (\"LiOH\"), a high value ingredient used directly in lithium battery manufacturing, as a final product.Summary of Study Results:The use of the technology presents a possible alternative to the natural evaporation process currently proposed at Mariana.The technology could provide a process route to produce lithium hydroxide directly from the raw brine without the need to remove contaminants like magnesium by liming, as would be required in the natural evaporation process. Based on intitial estimates, the technology can achieve higher recoveries than natural evaporation even with relatively low concentrations of lithium.*Use of technolgy has the potentional to enable a considerable increase in production rate compared to evaporative ponds. Lithium is directly removed from the brine and the (spent) brine can be returned to the basin with little effect on the water balance.* With further refiningthe technology could also permit the recovery of potassium and other cations if desired.* At present, the Mariana Project joint venture partners have not conducted any formal economic analyses on the project. Statements regarding comparisons of recoveries are based on initial bench scale tests for the natural evaporation process and for the selective membrane technology. Additional testing and scaling up of the process is required before any definitive statements regar...