MGX Minerals Inc. announces it has executed a Letter of Intent with Orion Laboratories, LLC of Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and Light Metals International Inc. (“LMI”) of Vancouver, British Columbia, to jointly develop and commercialize a new process for extracting hard-rock lithium from spodumene concentrate.
LMI has developed a thermochemical technology to rapidly manufacture lithium carbonate (Li2CO3) and/or lithium hydroxide (LiOH) from a variety of spodumene (LiAlSi2O6-rich) concentrates. The method is modular and highly scalable, thereby enabling a small “factory footprint,” and holds the potential to significantly decrease overall hard-rock lithium production costs. Unique features of the technology include:
- Only three feedstock materials are required: (i) a spodumene concentrate, to produce high-purity Li2CO3 and/or high-purity LiOH; (ii) high-purity CO2, which is consumed in forming Li2CO3; and (iii) high-purity H2O, which is consumed in forming LiOH.
- Creates three potentially saleable high-purity products: Li2CO3 and/or LiOH, aluminum hydroxide, Al(OH)3, and amorphous silica, SiO2.
- Eliminates use of conventional sulfuric acid leaching.
- Modular capabilities allow for scalable and remote deployment.
Orion and LMI are led by James G. Blencoe, Ph.D. Dr. Blencoe has more than 40 years of experience designing, constructing, operating and maintaining specialized equipment for advanced chemical production.
MGX and joint-venture partner Power Metals Corp. have agreed to provide Dr. Blencoe with a 10 kilogram sample of spodumene-rich rock originating from the Case Lake lithium project in Ontario, which will be used to perform initial bench-scale laboratory testing.
“The success of our Case Lake, Ontario joint venture has led us to review new metallurgical methods that have the potential to significantly reduce the costs and equipment required for extraction of the principle spodumene elements lithium, aluminum, and silicon (the latter in the form of silica),” said MGX President and CEO Jared Lazerson. “We believe Dr. Blencoe has a firm understanding of the thermochemical requirements to achieve such a goal.”
