NEWS
Rock Tech Produces 99.96% Lithium Carbonate and Achieves 81.5% Spodumene Concentrate Recovery
(via Thenewswire.ca)
Canada, June 27, 2011 - Rock Tech Lithium Inc. (TSX-Venture: RCK; Frankfurt: RJIA; Pink Sheets: RCKTF) (the "Company" or "Rock Tech") is pleased to announce the preliminary results from its metallurgical tests conducted on a bulk sample taken from its Georgia Lake lithium project.
Highlights of these tests include the following:
Though specification for lithium carbonate (Li2CO3) purity varies among battery manufacturers, purity must meet or exceed a minimum of 99.5%. Applying the standard Li2CO3 hydrometallurgical flow sheet, without any optimization of the Georgia Lake bulk samples, the purity level of >99.96% Li2CO3 that was achieved, according to SGS Mineral Services, is an excellent result for the first attempt at producing lithium carbonate.
Company President and CEO, Eunho Lee, commented, "The preliminary metallurgical test results have exceeded our expectations. The results indicate, through a Heavy Liquid Separation operation, a high-grade concentrate with high rates of recovery can be generated, indicating the potential for significant savings on future capital and operating expenses. We are extremely pleased with the purity of the lithium carbonate that was produced. These results provide us with the platform upon which we can advance discussions with potential battery manufacturers. Additionally, with process optimization and on-going research and testing by SGS Lakefield, we can look forward to potentially higher purity levels of lithium carbonate. The results of the metallurgical test marks the achievement of a major milestone for Rock Tech and its shareholders."
About Metallurgy Test
A bulk sample of approximately 800 kilograms was sent to SGS Mineral Services (Lakefield, Ontario) laboratories at the end February 2011. The sample was a mixture of blasted surface and drill core spodumene pegmatite material from the Nama Creek Main Zone. The blasted rock sample was collected from three different locations; similarly, the drill core sample was collected by drilling 3 NQ sized short drill holes ranging in depth from 32 metres to 47 metres below ground surface. All samples were initially crushed to a ½ inch and approximately 75 kilograms of each crushed sample was removed and further crushed to a -6 mesh powder. A subsample was taken from the -6 mesh powder sample and submitted for HLS and floatation testing. HLS methodology resulted in 75.5% recovery with 6.2% Li2O on high grade samples (i.e., >1.6% Li2O) and 68.2% recovery with 6.3% Li2O on lower grade samples (i.e., 0.69% Li2O) indicating consistency of metallurgical behaviour of spodumene pegmatite material from the Georgia Lake Nama Creek Main Zone. The lithium loss in HLS test was low (about 1.1% based on the original head composite.
In parallel to HLS testing, floatation testing was performed on the whole composite resulted in a recovery of 81.5% spodumene concentrate grading 6.15% Li2O. The remaining 18.5 % lithium was lost in the spodumene scavenger tail, mica concentrate, combined slimes and cyclone overflow.
The standard lithium carbonate hydrometallurgical flow sheet (see below) was applied to the low iron concentrate sample produced by SGS Mineral Services. The objective of the exercise was to produce the first market sample of Li2CO3.
Diagram 1: Standard Li2CO3 Hydrometallurgical Flow Sheet
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|Acid | |Concentrate| |Primary | |Secondary| |Ion-Exchange| |Li2CO3 | |Bicarbonate|
|Roasted | |Leach | |Impurity| |Impurity | | | |Precipitate| |Polish |
|ß-Spodumene| | | |Removal | |Removal | | | | | | |
| | | | |(Fe, | |(Ca, | | | | | | |
| | | | |Al) | |Mg, Mn) | | | | | | |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The samples were processed at SGS Lakefield Mineral Services, under the supervision of senior metallurgists Massoud Aghamirian, Ph.D., and Stephen Mackie, Ph.D. Additional process optimization is in progress to refine the sample to meet the specifications for calcium and to further improve the lithium carbonate grade.
The preliminary laboratory sample results for lithium carbonate grades are presented in the table below:
--------------------------------------------------------------
|Lithium Carbonate|Specification|Rock Tech Lithium –|
| | |First Product |
| |---------------------------------|
| |Sample 1 |Sample 2 |
|------------------------------------------------------------|
|Grade – PCT. |>99.5% |99.9673% |99.9582%|
--------------------------------------------------------------
Source: SGS Mineral Services, Lakefield, Ontario
The preliminary laboratory sample results for other elements and their associated grades are presented in the table below:
----------------------------------------------------------
|Element |Specification|Rock Tech Lithium –|
| | |First Product |
| |---------------------------------|
| |Sample 1 |Sample 2 |
|--------------------------------------------------------|
|Sodium (Na) |<400 PPM |<20 PPM |<20 PPM|
|--------------------------------------------------------|
|Sulphur (S) |<200 PPM |100 PPM |200 PPM|
|--------------------------------------------------------|
|Chlorides (Cl)|<100 PPM |<10 PPM |<10 PPM|
|--------------------------------------------------------|
|Calcium |<100 PPM |210 PPM |200 PPM|
|--------------------------------------------------------|
|Magnesium (Mg)|<100 PPM |15.2 PPM |17 PPM |
|--------------------------------------------------------|
|Potassium (K) |<50 PPM |<20 PPM |<20 PPM|
|--------------------------------------------------------|
|Boron (B) |<10 PPM |<4 PPM |<4 PPM |
|--------------------------------------------------------|
|Iron (Fe) |<5 PPM |<2 PPM |<2 PPM |
|--------------------------------------------------------|
|Chromium (Cr) |<5 PPM |<1 PPM |<1 PPM |
|--------------------------------------------------------|
|Nickel (Ni) |<5 PPM |<5 PPM |<5 PPM |
|--------------------------------------------------------|
|Copper (Cu) |<5 PPM |1 PPM |1 PPM |
|--------------------------------------------------------|
|Lead (Pb) |<5 PPM |<1 PPM |<1 PPM |
|--------------------------------------------------------|
|Aluminium (Al)|<5 PPM |<8 PPM |<8 PPM |
|--------------------------------------------------------|
|Zinc (Zn) |<5 PPM |<5 PPM |<5PPM |
|--------------------------------------------------------|
|Manganese (Mn)|<5 PPM |0.4 PPM |0.4 PPM|
----------------------------------------------------------
Source: SGS Mineral Services, Lakefield, Ontario
Technical information of this news release has been reviewed by Afzaal Pirzada, P.Geo., Vice President, Exploration of the Company and a Qualified Person as defined in NI 43-101.
ABOUT GEORGIA LAKE LITHIUM PROJECT
Rock Tech's 100% owned Georgia Lake lithium project is comprised of 64 mining claims, covering 10,432 hectares in 652 units, and 81 mining leases covering 1,049.78 hectares. The property is located about 145 kilometres northeast of the city of Thunder Bay, Ontario. The project has a cumulative, historical resource estimate of 9,777,807 tons grading 1.18% Li2O (lithium oxide) (source: E.G.Pye, 1965, Geological Report 31, Ontario Department of Mines) based on 33,000 metres of diamond drilling, over 200 drill holes, carried out in the late 1950s (cautionary note: historical resource estimates are not NI 43-101 compliant and should not be relied upon). Underground development carried out during that period on the Nama Creek claim block included a vertical, four-compartment shaft sunk to a depth of 153.3 meters (503 feet). Since the acquisition of the project in late 2009, Rock Tech has completed over 8,000 metres of drilling, collected a bulk sample for metallurgical testing and conducted other ground exploration work with a plan to bring the historical resource to current NI 43-101 standards and move the project to the feasibility stage.
On behalf of the Board of Directors,
"Eunho Lee"
Eunho Lee
Director, President and CEO
For more information, please contact:
Brad Barnett
Controller and Senior Manager, Business Affairs
Rock Tech Lithium Inc.
789 West Pender Street, Suite 1205
Vancouver, B.C., V6C 1H2
Telephone: (604) 688-1140
Facsimile: (604) 688-1173
Email: info@rocktechlithium.com
Disclaimer and Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release. This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities in any jurisdiction.
All statements, trend analysis and other information contained in this press release relative to markets about anticipated future events or results constitute forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "seek", "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "estimate", "expect" and "intend" and statements that an event or result "may", "will", "should", "could" or "might" occur or be achieved and other similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are subject to business and economic risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results of operations to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on estimates and opinions of management at the date the statements are made. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements even if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change. Investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.
The laboratory-scale metallurgical test results are based on an 800 kg sample collected from the Nama Creek Main Dyke and there is no guarantee that the results will be reproduced at pilot and/or plant scale.
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