NNeometals Ltd. announced successful completion of the purification phase ("Purification Testwork") of its Lithium Chemical pilot trial ("Pilot"). The Purification Testwork, conducted on a brine feed source, has confirmed earlier bench-scale testing by removing >97% of brine feed source impurities. This supports production of a purified brine solution that sits comfortably within specification for subsequent electrolysis stage of the Company's majority owned ELi?

process. Neometals' Lithium Chemical business unit is commercialising the ELi? Technology owned by Reed Advanced Materials Pty Ltd. RAM is co-funding the Pilot with Bondalti group, Portugal's largest chlor-alkali chemical producer and held by José de Mello Group, one of Portugal's largest corporate groups.

The ELi? process comprises brine purification, followed by electrolysis where electricity is used to convert lithium chloride solutions into lithium hydroxide and/or lithium carbonate. The purification Pilot, undertaken by a third party laboratory, processed an actual South American salar brine concentrate.

ELi? has several advantages over conventional processes including lower operating expenditures by substituting electricity for chemical reagents, higher product purity and a smaller CO2 footprint. The Purification Testwork successfully removed impurities that can impede electrolysis efficiency (consumption).

Higher and stable electrical current efficiency in turn extends electrolysis membrane durability (useful life), reducing maintenance time and cost and increasing the end-product grade.