Lithium Universe (ASX: LU7) kickstarts testwork for Quebec’s lithium carbonate refinery - Kalkine Media

Highlights

• Lithium Universe has begun metallurgical testing on various sources of spodumene.
• LU7 intends to build a lithium refinery with robust capability that can process spodumene from any part of the world.
• The testwork will be conducted under the guidance of Dr. Jingyuan Liu (NED).
• In the first test program, LU7 secured 99.7% LiCO_3, versus the international battery grade spec of 99.5% LiCO

Lithium Universe Limited (ASX: LU7) has started metallurgical testing on various sources of spodumene, considering the capacity gap in lithium conversion in North America. The flow sheet prepared for the Québec Lithium Processing Hub (QLPH) Refinery will be used for the testwork.

The downstream standalone lithium refinery in Quebec is being built with strong capabilities so that it can efficiently process spodumene feedstock from varied sources across the world.

So far, LU7 has gathered samples featuring various lithium grades from Australia and South America. Currently, they are under metallurgical laboratory processing at the contracted laboratory of the company.

With diverse sources for spodumene, the proposed lithium refinery will be able to survive fluctuations in the global spodumene market, ensuring operational continuity and stability. Notably, there is port and river access to the proposed site that would ensure smooth spodumene import takes place from South America and Africa.

QLPH Lithium Refinery Process Flow Diagram

Key details of the testwork

The testwork will be performed under the guidance of Dr. Jingyuan Liu (NED), a lithium expert.

The variety of commercial spodumene concentrates selected for these tests, include a broad spectrum of lithium grades, particle sizes, and impurities.  

The process will include multiple steps, such as calcination, sulphation, leaching, impurity removal, precipitation, and final purification, to develop a battery-grade product.

There will be numerous test programs conducted during the testwork. So far, LU7 has completed one complete program returning 99.7% LiCO₃ as compared to the international battery grade specification of 99.5% LiCO₃. Notably, the impurity levels remained within spec limits.

What significance does the testwork holds?

The metallurgical testwork program forms a crucial element of the engineering study being conducted by Hatch Ltd for the multi-purpose battery-grade lithium carbonate refinery at the company’s QLPH.

According to the company, the refinery will have a capacity of 16,000 metric tons/annum, with a spodumene feed grade of ~5.5% Li₂O.

Also, comprehensive testing is being done for the spodumene samples with 5.0% to 6.0% Li₂O of different particle sizes. This development is in line with the engineering study that is being conducted to keep the efficacy of the lithium carbonate production process as per the specs of the QLPH refinery.

Data source: Company update

LU7 shares traded at AU$0.022 on 15 February 2024.