Australian lithium processing technology patent -Lithium - Ion Battery Equipment
ASX-listed Lithium Australia will apply for two additional patents for its chemical-based SiLeach lithium extraction process to lock in a process for recovering lithium without significant evaporation.
Technological improvements will reduce the capital and operating costs associated with managing the water balance for process liquid lithium recovery, while improving the quality of the lithium chemicals and potassium by-products produced by SiLeach.
The new process steps are the result of Lithium Australia's ongoing technical collaboration with ANSTO Minerals and will further complement SiLeach's commercialisation programme, which includes the development of a large pilot plant.(Lithium - Ion Battery Equipment)
Adrian Griffin, managing director of Lithium Australia, said: "Properly managing the water balance has until now been an expensive and vexing problem for many lithium chemical producers."
“Lithium Australia will accelerate the commercialisation of the SiLeach™ process, taking full advantage of the advantages gained from solving this processing challenge. Being able to produce lithium compounds without evaporating large amounts of water clearly puts us ahead of our peers.”
The pilot plant is designed to produce 2,500 tons of lithium carbonate equivalent per year, and is a key step in the decision-making journey for a full-scale plant to produce 10 times that amount through the innovative SiLeach process.
In April, the company filed a patent for an improved SiLeach process sheet that could significantly improve lithium recovery from low-grade waste mica ore.
Recovery rates are now expected to average over 86%, compared to previously reported results of 82.8%, which could potentially reduce capital costs for several unit processes within the proposed pilot plant.
SiLeach is ideal for processing low-grade lepidolite, considered a waste product in many mining operations, as a cost-competitive source of battery-grade lithium chemistry.
While traditional lithium processors use energy-hungry roasting to produce battery-grade chemicals for lithiated minerals, Sileach uses a proprietary chemical reaction to do the same thing without the need for expensive roasting.
In addition, the company hopes that SiLeach will restore the presence of the Sadisdorf lithium and tin deposit in Germany, providing the project with an opportunity to economically recover lithium, tin and other by-products.
Technological improvements will reduce the capital and operating costs associated with managing the water balance for process liquid lithium recovery, while improving the quality of the lithium chemicals and potassium by-products produced by SiLeach.
The new process steps are the result of Lithium Australia's ongoing technical collaboration with ANSTO Minerals and will further complement SiLeach's commercialisation programme, which includes the development of a large pilot plant.(Lithium - Ion Battery Equipment)
Adrian Griffin, managing director of Lithium Australia, said: "Properly managing the water balance has until now been an expensive and vexing problem for many lithium chemical producers."
“Lithium Australia will accelerate the commercialisation of the SiLeach™ process, taking full advantage of the advantages gained from solving this processing challenge. Being able to produce lithium compounds without evaporating large amounts of water clearly puts us ahead of our peers.”
The pilot plant is designed to produce 2,500 tons of lithium carbonate equivalent per year, and is a key step in the decision-making journey for a full-scale plant to produce 10 times that amount through the innovative SiLeach process.
In April, the company filed a patent for an improved SiLeach process sheet that could significantly improve lithium recovery from low-grade waste mica ore.
Recovery rates are now expected to average over 86%, compared to previously reported results of 82.8%, which could potentially reduce capital costs for several unit processes within the proposed pilot plant.
SiLeach is ideal for processing low-grade lepidolite, considered a waste product in many mining operations, as a cost-competitive source of battery-grade lithium chemistry.
While traditional lithium processors use energy-hungry roasting to produce battery-grade chemicals for lithiated minerals, Sileach uses a proprietary chemical reaction to do the same thing without the need for expensive roasting.
In addition, the company hopes that SiLeach will restore the presence of the Sadisdorf lithium and tin deposit in Germany, providing the project with an opportunity to economically recover lithium, tin and other by-products.
