Almost all lithium brine mines built since Silver Peak in 1966 make use of some form of evaporation based processing. Consider the changes in battery technology during that same period of time. Are there opportunities for that sort of innovation in lithium production as well? Can we find better and more sustainable ways to extract and process the raw materials needed for this clean energy revolution? We believe the answer to both questions is a resounding YES.
One of Pure Energy’s objectives is to develop and demonstrate an innovative, sustainable and enhanced lithium extraction process as an alternative to the conventional evaporation based technology. There are several candidates for such a breakthrough, most of which are based on some form of selective extraction of lithium from the brine. After researching and evaluating several approaches to the challenge, Pure Energy has advanced through laboratory trials and mini-pilot plant evaluation of some exciting new technology.
The company is working with global technology and mining services provider Tenova Advanced Technologies (TAT) at the process testing, engineering, and design stage on the Clayton Valley Project. Indications from the lab-scale and mini-pilot tests are that the TAT process may outperform conventional and other competing technologies for lithium recovery from certain brines. Preliminary results reported by Pure Energy in 2015, 2016, and 2017 suggest that the TAT technology has the potential for significant advantages over conventional technology*:
