Century Lithium Achieves 99.2% Purity in Initial Lithium Carbonate Production at Nevada Pilot Plant
Century Lithium has announced successful assay results from the first lithium carbonate produced at its newly commissioned lithium carbonate stage within the company's Lithium Extraction Facility in Amargosa Valley, Nevada. The facility is a key component of Century Lithium's 100%-owned Angel Island Project in Nevada.
The initial startup tests yielded lithium carbonate with purity levels reaching as high as 99.2%, a promising result considering that battery-grade lithium carbonate typically requires purity above 99.5%. Century Lithium's President and CEO, Bill Willoughby, expressed optimism about the results, highlighting that the company is close to achieving battery-grade purity and has identified steps to further refine the process.
During the startup phase, the facility processed five 40-liter batches of concentrated lithium solution, each yielding 4 kilograms of lithium carbonate. The process involved precipitation with sodium carbonate, followed by washing and drying. With adjustments made in collaboration with Hargrove Engineers and Constructors, the purity of the lithium carbonate improved with each batch, culminating in the highest recorded purity of 99.2%. The primary non-lithium impurities identified were calcium and magnesium.
These results mark a significant milestone for Century Lithium, demonstrating the effectiveness of its end-to-end lithium extraction process at the pilot plant, a capability that was previously outsourced.
