공시 • Nov 02
LithiumBank Resources Corp. Reports Up to 60X Grade Increase and Production of High Purity Lithium Concentrate From DLE Test Work at the Boardwalk Lithium Brine Project, Alberta, Canada
LithiumBank Resources Corp. announced results from the Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) test work on brine from the 100% owned Boardwalk Lithium Brine Project in Alberta. Test work results indicate the selected DLE technology to be a highly effective and scalable method of extracting lithium chloride from the Boardwalk brine. LithiumBank engaged Conductive Energy Inc. (“Conductive”) from Alberta, Canada to test their proprietary Direct Lithium Extraction (“DLE”) technology using brine collected from the Leduc Formation at the Boardwalk project. Conductive has proprietary Ion Exchange (“IX”) material (also known as a bead or resin) that LithiumBank has tested to selectively recover lithium from the Company’s Boardwalk brine. Conductive’s IX materials are safer than other commonly known materials, such as manganese-based sieves, and is produced in Conductive’s own manufacturing facility in North America. Their IX material is currently being piloted on two other Lithium DLE projects in North America. The purpose of the DLE test work was to determine the ideal parameters whereby the level of lithium recovery is achieved in the shortest amount of time while using the least amount of IX material. This test work was successful in achieving 93% recovery of high-purity, high concentrate lithium chloride (LiCl) within 60 minutes. The success of this test work provides the technical support required to progress the Preliminary Economic Assessment (“PEA”) in designing an on-site commercial scale lithium production facility. DLE testing was conducted over a four-month period at Conductive’s Calgary laboratory, to examine the IX material’s spectrum of capabilities and limitations. These tests examine the brine characteristics such as temperature, grade, interactions with impurities, and pH, and test it with several different conditions that can be controlled such as; Loading capacity at temperatures ranging from 60-80 degrees Celsius; Loading capacity with specified amounts of IX material; Loading capacity over specified time intervals; Lithium recovery after elution (washing of the IX material); Elution testing at specified pH levels; and Elution testing at specified temperatures. LithiumBank, Hatch Ltd. (“Hatch”), and Conductive are expected to continue to work together to optimize their DLE process through additional tests. Further testing and pre-concentration may improve the reported recovery and residence time that is expected to be used in the PEA. The Conductive IX material lithium extraction process has two stages, loading and elution. The loading cycle is the front end of the DLE process where brine interacts directly with the IX material and undergoes a simple reaction in which lithium ions are preferentially attracted to the IX material. After a specific amount of time, as determined by the test work, the IX material is ‘loaded’ and cannot attract additional lithium ions. This is the end of the loading stage, and the IX material is ready for the elution stage. The elution stage takes the IX material out of the brine to separate the lithium from the IX material in a washing cycle. The residual lithium-depleted brine is then sent to existing oil wells for reinjection into the subsurface. The elution stage of the DLE achieved concentrations up to 4,000 mg/L (4 g/L) LiCl. The optimization of the elution stage is ongoing and is expected to be between the range of 2,500 – 4,000 mg/L. The washed IX material can then be reused to recover lithium from the further brine multiple times. The IX material, based on Conductive’s previous experience, is expected to be reused over 1000 times before it reaches its life-cycle (Conductive has not yet conducted tests with Boardwalk brine to measures longevity of the IX material). After the DLE process, the concentrated brine is then required to undergo additional steps before it is upgraded to a battery grade lithium product such as lithium carbonate (LC) or lithium hydroxide monohydrate (LHM). The processes following the DLE are being evaluated by Hatch and is expected to be incorporated in the PEA. LithiumBank first engaged Hatch in August 2021 to conduct a comparative study of a number of North American based DLE technologies that could deliver a high purity Lithium Chloride (LiCI) concentrate to be used in commercial, battery grade lithium chemical production from the Boardwalk brine. After an iterative process by Hatch, LithiumBank has narrowed the potential technology providers, with Conductive technology providing the most optimal results. The Boardwalk (formally Sturgeon Lake) Leduc Formation Li-brine inferred resource, with an effective date of May 18th, 2021, is globally estimated at 1,122,000 tonnes of elemental Li at an average lithium concentration of 67.1 mg/L Li in 16.7 km3 of formation brine volume (Table 2). The global (total) lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) for the inferred mineral resource is 5,973,000 tonnes LCE at an average grade of 67.1 mg/L Li (as reported May 31, 2022). Mineral resources are not mineral reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability. There is no guarantee that all or any part of the mineral resource will be converted into a mineral reserve. While bench-scale, and demonstration pilot plants operated by companies other than LithiumBank are reportedly having success in the recovery of high purity battery-grade lithium from subsurface confined aquifers, DLE technology is in the development stage and has not yet been proven at commercial scale. The scientific and technical disclosure in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Mr. Kevin Piepgrass (Chief Operations Officer, LithiumBank Resources Corp.), who is a Member of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of the province of BC (APEGBC) and is a Qualified Person (QP) for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Piepgrass consents to the inclusion of the data in the form and context in which it appears.