The great thing about doing Compass minerals is their is no reinjection issues. because the spent brine from the DLE is put into the next pond to be processed.
Standard Lithium Ltd., Vancouver, Canada, (TSXV: SLL) (OTCQX: STLHF) (FRA: S5L), an innovative technology and lithium project development company, has successfully completed the conversion of its Arkansas-produced lithium chloride into 99.985% pure lithium carbonate using OEM technology. The work was completed by Veolia Water Technologies, at their facility in Plainfield, Illinois, United States, and demonstrates that the lithium chloride intermediate product produced by Standard Lithium’s industrial scale LiSTR Direct Lithium Extraction (“DLE”) plant in Arkansas can be converted into better-than battery quality lithium carbonate using established OEM carbonation technology.
Dual Track Program for Lithium Carbonate Conversion As part of a continuous process of derisking the Arkansas Lithium Project, Standard Lithium opted to evaluate two different processes to convert the LiCl solution made by the Arkansas DLE plant into a battery-quality material. The first was using the Company’s own patent-pending SiFT technology as previously reported. The second, as reported here, was via conventional technology, widely used within the industry and performed by Veolia. Concentrated lithium chloride solution produced by Standard Lithium was sent to Veolia and was then converted to lithium carbonate using a conventional flowsheet. This involves additional concentration; chemical softening/purification; initial conversion to solid lithium carbonate; redissolution to a bicarbonate solution and final crystallisation, washing and drying of battery quality lithium carbonate. The material produced was of exceptionally high purity, as shown in Table 1 below where the composition is compared to typical specifications for battery-grade lithium carbonate compiled from a variety of commercial sources and producers’ specifications
“When we first announced the identification of a readily available, 2.4 million ton lithium brine resource, we emphasized that we are evaluating multiple paths forward for development, potential partnerships, and product selection to ensure optimal shareholder value. While that work continues, our progress to date puts us firmly on track for market entry with a battery-grade lithium product by 2025.
“As we continue to assess potential DLE technology partners and commercial opportunities, we remain committed to responsible stewardship of this exciting and sustainable resource. We look forward to providing future updates as we achieve additional milestones in the coming months.”