American Lithium Corp. (TSXV:LI | Nasdaq:AMLI | Frankfurt:5LA1) has provided an update on the optimization of its Falchani processing flow-sheet. This update is based on recently completed, and ongoing, test work at Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organization Laboratories in Sydney, Australia in conjunction with TECMMINE in Lima, Peru.
Simon Clarke, CEO of American Lithium stated: “We are very excited about recent flow-sheet work in which we continue to produce high purity LC exceeding battery grade thresholds in repeated full-cycle tests giving us confidence to start piloting later this year.”
The unique volcanic style of lithium mineralization at Falchani, combined with low impurity content allows its flowsheet to resemble more conventional mining/processing flowsheets versus most hard-rock lithium projects where concentrates are produced and then shipped elsewhere for further refining into higher quality products.
Falchani’s flowsheet utilizes warm sulfuric acid leaching and impurity removal steps to produce a high-purity lithium carbonate end product on site with purity in excess of 99.5%, typically the threshold for battery grade LC. This helps drive the robust economics, particularly the low operating costs, highlighted in the Company’s original and recently updated Preliminary Economic Assessments. There is no need for additional refining steps offshore.
The company believes it can further reduce acid consumption and reagent costs and optimize the production of LC as well as highly economic / strategic by-products by implementing a number of additional tried and tested hydrometallurgical processing steps into the core flowsheet. This work has yielded strong results, and the company currently intends to commence piloting work for its Falchani Project during H2, 2024.
“Recent work focusing on counter-current leaching and SX has been extremely positive not only for producing high-quality by-products with strong strategic and economic value but also for optimization and material cost reduction. We will continue to refine these additions to the flowsheet with ANSTO and TECMMINE with the goal of also introducing them into our pilot work at the appropriate time.” Added Simon.
