- The DLE pilot plant has produced top quality eluate with low impurities
- The efficiency of the DLE course of is predicated on the composition of the eluate attaining key metrics of:
- A lithium grade in feed brine of 196mg/L was concentrated to 710mg/L within the eluate, or a 3.6X focus issue
- Lithium adsorption restoration price of 94%
- Rejection charges over 99% for key contaminants calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium and sulphate
- A reverse osmosis unit on the DLE pilot plant is used to pay attention the eluate previous to cargo, concentrating the check batch from a lithium grade of 710mg/L within the eluate to 2,194mg/L within the concentrated eluate
- An preliminary 200L of concentrated eluate has been despatched to a third-party processor in North America for check work to arrange the method plant for conversion of eluate into battery grade lithium carbonate
- CTL will ship batches of 24m3 of the concentrated eluate for conversion with the primary batch scheduled for later this month
- The pilot plant in Copiapó has demonstrated that it might function on the designed capability of concentrated eluate manufacturing adequate for conversion to 1 tonne per thirty days of battery grade lithium carbonate
- This locations CleanTech Lithium on the forefront of exploration corporations in Chile and the broader sector, in its skill to make out there massive samples of lithium carbonate product to potential strategic and offtake companions in search of to begin product qualification
Steve Kesler, Govt Chairman, of CleanTech Lithium PLC, stated:
“The evaluation of the eluate exhibits the DLE efficiency has exceeded our expectations, concentrating the lithium grade of the feed brine by 3.6X whereas attaining excessive restoration charges and low impurities. The primary full batch of 24m3 of concentrated eluate is scheduled to be shipped within the coming weeks. The pilot plant has met its design capability able to producing 1 tonne of LCE per thirty days, positioning CleanTech Lithium to supply vital portions of lithium product samples for potential strategic companions. We’re edging nearer to be one of many first DLE primarily based corporations in Chile to supply battery-grade lithium carbonate.”
Additional Info
The Firm´s DLE pilot plant is in Copiapó, Chile, roughly 250km from Laguna Verde, and completed commissioning in late March. On the R&D centre the place the pilot plant is situated, brine from the Laguna Verde undertaking is saved in a big 243,000 litre vessel outdoors the pilot plant after which fed into an indoor tank having handed by way of filtration to take away suspended solids. It’s then fed into the DLE columns proven in Determine 1, that are crammed with adsorbent designed to be selective for lithium molecules. Lithium, as lithium chloride, is adsorbed from the brine, earlier than desorption with water to create a purified lithium chloride eluate.
A reverse osmosis (RO) unit on the DLE pilot plant, as proven in Determine 2, then concentrates the eluate by extracting roughly 75% of the water earlier than this concentrated eluate is shipped to the services of Conductive Power in Chicago, USA for conversion into battery grade lithium carbonate. A 200L batch of concentrated eluate was lately air freighted to Conductive Power for test-work to optimise the deliberate conversion course of earlier than bigger volumes of concentrated eluate, which will likely be shipped in 24m3 containers, are dispatched with the primary such cargo scheduled for later this month.
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Fig. 1: Pilot Plant Multi-Valve Feeding Brine to DLE Columns (approx. 2.5 metres excessive) |
Fig. 2: Reverse Osmosis Unit Used to Focus Eluate on the Pilot Plant |
Brine is processed on the DLE pilot plant in cycles the place every cycle represents the 30-hour sequence of adsorption, displacement wash and desorption utilizing all 30 of the DLE columns to course of the feed brine into eluate. The 200L check batch gives a consultant pattern taken from the primary two DLE cycles accomplished on the pilot plant. Evaluation of the feed brine, eluate and concentrated eluate is supplied in Desk 1 beneath.
Component (ions) |
Unit |
Feed Brine |
Eluate |
Concentrated Eluate |
Boron (B) |
mg/L |
451 |
279 |
411 |
Calcium (Ca) |
mg/L |
640 |
2 |
7 |
Chloride (Cl) |
mg/L |
70,893 |
3,429 |
11,039 |
Lithium (Li) |
mg/L |
197 |
710 |
2,194 |
Magnesium (Mg) |
mg/L |
2,293 |
4 |
14 |
Potassium (Ok) |
mg/L |
4,533 |
0 |
0 |
Sodium (Na) |
mg/L |
48,776 |
20 |
134 |
Sulphate (SO4) |
mg/L |
7,768 |
91 |
103 |
Whole Dissolve Solids (TDS) |
mg/L |
142,432 |
4,837 |
19,260 |
Desk 1: Composition of Feed Brine, Eluate and Concentrated Eluate (Main Ions)
The focus of lithium from 197mg/L within the feed brine to 710mg/L within the eluate is 3.6X, which is taken into account to be a really optimistic end result. DLE primarily acts as a purification stage, recovering lithium chloride from the brine while rejecting different impurities. For all the main ions within the brine, aside from boron, the rejection price was 99% or increased and virtually 100% for the most important impurity within the brine which is sodium, as proven in Desk 2 beneath. The adsorbent exhibits superb selectivity for these ions with extraordinarily excessive selectivity for lithium to sodium.
The low selectivity for boron is predicted with the Firm´s course of stream sheet, as described within the accomplished Laguna Verde scoping examine, which features a boron elimination stage utilizing ion alternate. The present course of stream sheet additionally features a nano-filtration stage for magnesium and calcium as a high-level purification of those two parts is required earlier than conversion to battery grade lithium carbonate. The very low ranges of those two parts within the eluate signifies nanofiltration will not be required. CleanTech Lithium´s course of staff can be engaged on options that would cut back or remove the requirement for the Boron elimination stage to additional simplify the method.
Component (ion) |
Rejection in Eluate |
Boron (B) |
38.1% |
Calcium (Ca) |
99.7% |
Magnesium (Mg) |
99.8% |
Potassium (Ok) |
100.0% |
Sodium (Na) |
100.0% |
Sulphate (SO4) |
98.8% |
Desk 2: DLE Efficiency – Rejection of Main Impurities
The restoration price in Cycle 2 was 94% in adsorption with an total restoration after desorption of 89%. The desorption restoration price is predicted to be additional optimised because the pilot plant stabilises over extra operational cycles. The manufacturing price achieved was 2.57 kg LCE/hr which meets or exceeds the design capability of the plant.
Downstream Processing into Battery Grade LithiumCarbonate
For the conversion of the concentrated lithium chloride eluate into battery grade lithium carbonate, CleanTech Lithium has engaged a number one lithium focus and refining firm, Conductive Power, primarily based in Alberta, Canada, which has a conversion facility in Chicago, USA (see Determine 3). Concentrated eluate will likely be shipped in batches of 24m3, which corresponds to a transport container, to the port of Los Angeles earlier than transiting to Chicago.
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Determine 3: Conductive Power – Milling and Refining Gear, Repeatedly Stirred Tank Reactor, and Lithium Carbonate product (photos left to proper) |
Step one will likely be to additional focus the eluate utilizing Ahead Osmosis (FO), with the FO unit supplied by Ahead Water Know-how, one other Canadian firm primarily based in Ontario. FO achieves a excessive focus issue with low vitality use. Following FO, the conversion course of phases undertaken by Conductive Power, contain sprucing by ion alternate to take away hint impurities, carbonation to precipitate lithium carbonate, stable/liquid separation and drying. These normal trade processes for lithium carbonate manufacturing are reflective of the conversion course of CleanTech Lithium plans to make use of at a business scale for the Laguna Verde undertaking.
Samples of the lithium carbonate product will likely be analysed by Conductive Power and a third-party impartial laboratory to verify the benchmark of 99.5% Li2CO3 is achieved for battery grade lithium carbonate. The product will likely be packaged for transport to potential strategic companions and off-takers for product verification within the coming months.
Competent Individuals
The next skilled acts as certified particular person, as outlined within the AIM Notice for Mining, Oil and Gasoline Firms (June 2009) and JORC Code (2012):
Marcelo Bravo: Chemical Engineer (Universidad Católica del Norte), has a Grasp’s Diploma in Engineering Sciences main in Mineral Processing, Universidad de Antofagasta. He at the moment works as a Senior Course of Consulting Engineer on the Advert-Infinitum firm. Mr Bravo has related expertise in researching and creating potassium, lithium carbonate, and photo voltaic evapo-concentration design processes in Chile, Argentina, and Bolivia. Mr Bravo, who has reviewed and authorized the data contained within the chapters related to his experience contained on this announcement, is registered with No. 412 within the public registry of Competent Individuals in Mining Sources and Reserves per the Legislation of Individuals Competent and its Rules in drive in Chile. Mr Bravo has adequate expertise related to the metallurgical assessments and the kind of subsequent processing of the extracted brines into account and to the exercise being carried out to qualify as a reliable particular person, as outlined within the JORC Code. Mr Bravo consents to the inclusion within the press launch of the issues primarily based on his data within the type and context during which it seems.
The data communicated inside this announcement is deemed to represent inside data as stipulated beneath the Market Abuse Rules (EU) No 596/2014 which is a part of UK regulation by advantage of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018. Upon publication of this announcement, this inside data is now thought-about to be within the public area. The one that organized for the discharge of this announcement on behalf of the Firm was Gordon Stein, Director and CFO.
For additional data contact: |
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CleanTech Lithium PLC |
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Steve Kesler/Gordon Stein/Nick Baxter |
Jersey workplace: +44 (0) 1534 668 321 Chile workplace: +562-32239222 |
Or by way of Celicourt |
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Celicourt Communications Felicity Winkles/Philip Dennis/Ali AlQahtani |
+44 (0) 20 7770 6424 cleantech@celicourt.uk |
Beaumont Cornish Restricted (Nominated Adviser) Roland Cornish/Asia Szusciak |
+44 (0) 20 7628 3396 |
Canaccord Genuity (Joint Dealer) James Asensio |
+44 (0) 20 7523 4680 |
Fox-Davies Capital Restricted (Joint Dealer) |
+44 (0) 20 3884 8450 |
Daniel Fox-Davies |
daniel@fox-davies.com |
Beaumont Cornish Restricted (“Beaumont Cornish”) is the Firm’s Nominated Adviser and is authorised and controlled by the FCA. Beaumont Cornish’s duties because the Firm’s Nominated Adviser, together with a accountability to advise and information the Firm on its duties beneath the AIM Guidelines for Firms and AIM Guidelines for Nominated Advisers, are owed solely to the London Inventory Change. Beaumont Cornish is just not performing for and won’t be accountable to some other individuals for offering protections afforded to clients of Beaumont Cornish nor for advising them in relation to the proposed preparations described on this announcement or any matter referred to in it.
Notes
CleanTech Lithium (AIM:CTL, Frankfurt:T2N, OTCQX:CTLHF) is an exploration and growth firm advancing sustainable lithium tasks in Chile for the clear vitality transition. Dedicated to net-zero, CleanTech Lithium’s mission is to supply materials portions of sustainable battery grade lithium merchandise utilizing Direct Lithium Extraction know-how powered by renewable vitality. The Firm plans to be a number one provider of ‘inexperienced’ lithium to the EV and battery manufacturing market.
CleanTech Lithium has two key lithium tasks in Chile, Laguna Verde and Francisco Basin, and maintain licences in Llamara and Salar de Atacama, situated within the lithium triangle, a number one centre for battery grade lithium manufacturing. The 2 main tasks: Laguna Verde and Francisco Basin are located inside basins managed by the Firm, which affords vital potential growth and operational benefits. All 4 tasks have direct entry to present infrastructure and renewable energy.
CleanTech Lithium is dedicated to utilizing renewable energy for processing and lowering the environmental affect of its lithium manufacturing by utilising Direct Lithium Extraction with reinjection of spent brine. Direct Lithium Extraction is a transformative know-how which removes lithium from brine, with increased recoveries than typical extraction processes. The strategy presents brief growth lead occasions with no in depth website building or evaporation pond growth so there may be minimal water depletion from the aquifer. www.ctlithium.com
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