Sep 11 2020
American Lithium Corp., a leading lithium exploration and development operator, has announced that it has synthesized lithium carbonate from its prime Tonopah Lithium Claims (TLC) claystone deposit.
Leachate synthesized by McClelland Laboratories in Reno, Nevada from TLC was methodically subjected to a base-case process to eliminate impurities before successful precipitation of lithium carbonate.
This breakthrough led to the starting of a testing program to improve each step of the process to reduce waste and enhance economics. Dr Jarrett Quinn, a lithium mining veteran, was retained as a metallurgical consultant to enable this program.
Apart from working as an independent consultant in the lithium mining industry, Dr Quinn has worked on start-up, plant design, and in operations for the mining and metallurgical industry. A PhD in Mining and Materials Engineering from McGill University forms part of his academic and research background.
The process we have currently developed, works, but continued process testing will explore each stage in detail to maximize the economics of the overall process. Simultaneously, we will be investigating potentially game-changing and alternative technologies to evolve the process further.
Dr Jarrett Quinn, Lithium Mining Veteran
According to Michael Kobler, CEO of American Lithium, “We are proud of the team having accomplished the milestone of producing lithium carbonate from our TLC ore leachate. Although at bench scale, this is confirmation that we are on the right path.”
We are pleased to work through this process engineering under the direction of Dr. Jarrett Quinn. His extensive experience in lithium production and nickel laterite clay minerology is directly relatable to our project. Further, his education, experience, and track record of success is a perfect fit with this project, and we are delighted to work with and learn from him.
Michael Kobler, CEO, American Lithium Corp.
The aim of the existing testing program is to generate design information needed to build a continuously operating pilot plant scheduled for 2021/2022. The pilot plant will exhibit the operations of the final full-scale plant.
Since lithium is a critical mineral, it must be produced domestically, and the TLC project hols promise for a sustainable, inexpensive, and domestic source of this mineral.
About the TLC Property
The TLC sedimentary lithium discovery is a lithium exploration and development project situated 12 km to the northwest of Tonopah, Nevada. It can be easily accessed by paved highway.
Exploration work performed so far has found a 5.3-million-tonne measured and specified lithium carbonate equivalent resource, with an extra 1.7 million tonnes inferred. Therefore, American Lithium’s resource is placed among very few prospective lithium deposits in Western North America with the potential for development.
TLC is a free-digging, near-surface, and relatively flat-lying lithium sedimentary deposit. American Lithium intends to advance this deposit through an early-stage economic study in 2020.
Located immediately to the south of the Crescent Dunes solar energy plant, the project location is favorable for future production as it offers instant access to some of the most inexpensive electricity in Nevada.
Source: https://www.americanlithiumcorp.com/