Domestic Lithium Cathode Production The key to renewable energy security
ASX Announcement 20 March 2019
Lithium Australia NL (ASX: LIT) has launched its preliminary feasibility study on the Sadisdorf lithium/tin deposit in Germany. The study will evaluate the direct production of cathode powders, lithium iron phosphate (LFP) in particular, from mica feed material. This mica is usually considered waste from this, and similar, tin mining operations.
Recovery of the mica, and direct production of cathode powders from it, is a strategy that enables the domestic supply of cathode materials requiring neither cobalt or nickel, thus providing supply chain security.
LFP batteries, which have many features superior to other battery chemistries, are ideally suited to applications in the energy storage systems (ESS) that provide backup for renewable energy.
The combination of:
- domestic supply,
- direct production of cathode powders, and
- local manufacture of LFP batteries
provides not only supply chain security but also helps in achieving long-term security for the energy industry.
Lithium Australia has a suite of technologies – all tested at pilot scale – to deliver highperformance LFP cathode materials from domestic sources into such markets, thereby improving energy security.
Recently Lithium Australia initiated the Australian Battery Consortium, in order to pursue similar opportunities in Australia.
Lithium Australia also plans to monetise its control position in the Electra project in Mexico. There, it holds ground both north and south of Bacanora Lithium’s giant Sonora lithium clay deposit, and has identified significant mineralisation in that ground. Lithium Australia’s strategic positioning in the ESS supply chain is the subject of a presentation (below) to the Informa Lithium and Battery Metals Conference in Perth, Western Australia on 20 March, 2019.
LITHIUM AUSTRALIA'S LieNA® PROCESS OFFERS AN ALTERNATIVE TO CONVENTIONAL SPODUMENE REFINING
ASX Announcement 21 February 2019
HIGHLIGHTS
- Lithium Australia’s 100%-owned LieNA® process represents a step change in spodumene refining by way of improved resource utilisation and potential regeneration of reagents.
- Based on the success of LieNA® research and development (R&D) to date, Lithium Australia believes further process development is warranted, and has begun the next stage of this at ANSTO.
Lithium Australia (ASX: LIT) developed and owns the LieNA® process, which is designed specifically to overcome the shortfalls inherent in conventional 'conversion' processes that recover lithium from spodumene.
As discussed at 121 Mining Investment in South Africa (see ASX announcement dated 4 February 2019), the LieNA® process replaces thermal conversion of spodumene with conversion at a lower temperature using caustic soda (see Figure 1 below). Once converted, the lithium is selectively leached and recovered as tri-lithium phosphate.
LieNA® offers a number of potential advantages over conventional spodumene conversion, including:
- improved resource utilisation, due to its ability to process fine spodumene concentrates;
- the ability to regenerate reagents used in the process;
- lower energy consumption;
- a smaller environmental footprint, and
- removal of the requirement for sodium sulphate production.
Lithium Australia recently completed preliminary R&D on the process at ANSTO, supported by a conceptual engineering assessment on the applicability of the LieNA® flowsheet to spodumene feed material. The outcomes of this indicated that further development of the process was warranted.
During the next stage of R&D, already commenced at ANSTO, final product synthesis, refining and the recycling of reagents will be examined.
The aim of this work effort, which is scheduled to continue throughout 2019, is to confirm sufficient technical criteria to commit to a pilot plant programme.
Figure 1. Simplified LieNA® process flowsheet.
COMMENT FROM LITHIUM AUSTRALIA MANAGING DIRECTOR ADRIAN GRIFFIN
“The application of LieNA® to the production of lithium chemicals from spodumene and petalite concentrates removes some of the constraints inherent in conventional lithium refining. LieNA® has the potential to provide a flexible, environmentally conscious and commercially competitive option for the treatment of spodumene concentrates.”
LITHIUM AUSTRALIA COMPLETES AERIAL SURVEY AT YOUANMI, WESTERN AUSTRALIA
ASX Announcement 13 February 2019
In 2018, Lithium Australia NL (ASX: LIT) (or 'the Company') expanded its extensive lithium holdings in Australia by way of an option to acquire the prospective Youanmi lithium and vanadium project ('the Project'), located 450 kilometres northeast of Perth (Figure 1).
Figure 1 – location of Youanmi lithium and vanadium project.
The Project consists of three exploration licences ('ELs'). These host abundant lithium pegmatites intruding layered mafic rocks that also host vanadium-rich magnetite horizons.
The ELs are subject to a binding heads of agreement, details of which are outlined in the ASX release dated 2 October 2018.
Recently, Southern Geoscience ('SGC') completed high-resolution aeromagnetics and radiometrics at Youanmi.
Modelling of the data will be completed within the next two weeks. It will then be used, in conjunction with surface mapping, to define drill targets for both lithium and vanadium mineralisation. In particular, the magnetics will indicate the positions of likely extensions of the vanadium Resource established by Venus Metals (ASX: VMC), as shown in Figure 1.
Venus Metals identified an Inferred Mineral Resource (JORC 2012) of 110.6 million tonnes @ 0.30% V205 (Venus Metals' ASX announcement, 6 February 2015) over a strike length of about 3.5 kilometres. Existing open-file magnetics suggest a similar strike extent of favourable horizons within Lithium Australia’s ground.
LITHIUM AUSTRALIA SURVEY OF LITHIUM PEGMATITES AT MEDCALF, WESTERN AUSTRALIA
ASX Announcement 5 February 2019
INTRODUCTION
In 2018, Lithium Australia NL (ASX: LIT) (or 'the Company') identified lithium pegmatite swarms at Medcalf, part of the Company's Lake Johnston project (see Figure 1). Medcalf lies within the highly lithium-prospective Yilgarn Craton, which hosts major lithium deposits at:
- Earl Grey (the Kidman Resources/Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile S.A. (SQM) joint venture);
- Mt Marion (NeoMetals, Gangfeng and Mineral Resources); and
- Mt Cattlin (Galaxy).
Much of the mineralisation within these deposits, including Medcalf and the Company's Mt Day prospect (located nearby) has similar geological features.
The lithium pegmatites of the Yilgarn Craton are attracting investment from some of the world’s largest lithium companies.
MEDCALF EXPLORATION
The exploration programme undertaken in January 2019 included:
- field mapping;
- rock-chip sampling; and
- geochemical soil sampling.
Samples generated during the programme have been submitted for laboratory analysis in Perth, Western Australia, with results expected in March 2019.
Previously reported results (see ASX announcement 21 May 2018) include rock-chip samples that are prospective, with grades ranging from 3.07% Li2O up to 4.78% Li2O, and a spodumene-only specimen sample grading 7.15% Li2O. The samples originated from lithium caesium tantalum ('LCT') pegmatites.
Figure 1: Lithium Australia's Lake Johnston tenement package, underlain by regional magnetic data.
REGIONAL EXPLORATION POTENTIAL
Lithium Australia's 100% owned Medcalf lithium project (E63/1809) lies within the southeast portion of the Company's Lake Johnston project in the southern Yilgarn region of Western Australia. It is about 460 kilometres east of Perth, the state's capital (Figure 1), some 45 kilometres southeast of Lithium Australia's Mt Day lithium prospect (see ASX release 27 January 2017) and about 120 kilometres east-southeast of the Earl Grey lithium deposit currently being developed by Kidman Resources (ASK: KDR) and SQM.
Both the regional geological setting and the proximity of the pegmatites to fertile granites are important in the emplacement of LCT pegmatites. It appears that for the Mt Day and Medcalf pegmatite fields, that source granites may form part of the same igneous complex.
Brittle failure zones in the greenstones and gneisses adjacent to the fertile granites are excellent target zones. Indeed, the greenstones between Medcalf and Mt Day may well host further LCT pegmatite occurrences, as might other parts of the greenstone sequence adjacent to the granite dome. Lithium Australia has most of that greenstone sequence covered by exploration licences (granted, and as applications) and has access through a lithium rights agreement with Lefroy Exploration (ASX: LEX) (see ASX release 18 October 2016) and (LEX ASX release dated 17 January 2019).
LITHIUM AUSTRALIA FORMALISES YOUANMI LITHIUM PROJECT OPTION
ASX Announcement 11 December 2018
HIGHLIGHTS
- Option to acquire the Youanmi Lithium Project now formalised
- The project features extensive lithium mineralisation and outcropping pegmatites
- It represents a potential feed source for generation 3 pilot plant operations
Vanadium mineralisation identified within host greenstone sequence
Lithium Australia NL (ASX: LIT) has expanded its extensive holdings in Western Australia by completing formalities on an option over the Youanmi Lithium Project (see ASX announcement dated 2 October 2018), located in the Archean Yilgarn Block, 450 kilometres north-east of Perth (see Figure 1 below).
BACKGROUND
The project, consisting of three exploration licences, is host to abundant lithium pegmatites that intrude layered mafic rocks (the latter also host vanadium-rich magnetite horizons) – see Figure 2 below
Those three exploration licences were secured through completion of a binding heads of agreement with private exploration company Diversity Resources Pty Ltd ('Diversity'), which has now been formalised.
Details of the option are outlined in Annexure 1.
