Surge Battery Metals Inc. announce that the first stage of metallurgical testing on clays from the Nevada North Lithium Project (NNLP) has achieved the goal of producing lithium carbonate at a dry-basis purity greater than 99% Li2CO3. The process flow sheet included attrition of the lithium-bearing clay, sulfuric acid digestion, filtration to separate the remnant clay, silica removal, removal of magnesium, calcium and excess sulphate from the
solute, followed by precipitation using soda ash (Na2CO3), and recycled lithium carbonate for crystallization. Major impurities (Al, CA, Fe, K, Mg, Na, SO4, Si) content accounted for just 0.17%, with all other mainly not detectable by ICP analysis, and those that could be measured accounting for a total of just 0.006%. Tests were conducted on a variety of horizons of varying clay lithium concentrations and mixtures of source clay layers. This series of preliminary bench-scale process tests was conducted by Kemetco Research Inc, of Richmond, BC, Canada. Kemetco has built a team of experts in lithium processing, having accumulated experience across a number of lithium projects and mineralization types. Subsequent stages of process tests will advance to proving the steps required to purify the lithium carbonate to battery grade concentration and impurity levels and optimizing the process to reduce reagent and water consumption while improving recovery.