HIGHLIGHTS
- Frontier Lithium and its technology partners ("the Company") have jointly completed Bench Scale / Laboratory Testwork designed to develop a hydrometallurgical process essential for direct production of lithium hydroxide from pregnant leach solutions generated from hard rock spodumene sources;
- The Company has successfully developed a lithium extraction process and has produced high quality lithium-bearing pregnant leach solutions ("PLS") at the bench-scale that is suitable for the production of lithium hydroxide;
- Bench scale results demonstrate the validity of the proprietary process flowsheet and are currently being used to secure intellectual property protection under an International Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) filing.
SUDBURY, ON , Oct. 21, 2020 /CNW/ - Frontier Lithium Inc. (TSX.V: FL) (the "Company" or "Frontier") is pleased to announce it has produced lithium hydroxide monohydrate ("LiOH.H 2 O") as a result of bench-scale test work that successfully employed a proprietary extraction process. The company along with XPS Expert Process Solutions ("XPS"), a Glencore company and AG Hydrometallurgy Services produced high quality lithium bearing pregnant leach solutions ("PLS") suitable for battery grade lithium hydroxide production for the growing Lithium Ion battery market. The flowsheet has the advantage of directly producing battery-quality lithium hydroxide from spodumene without employing a lithium carbonate intermediate, thereby reducing both cost and the generation of waste products.
The bench-scale test work utilized lithium concentrates produced by single stage dense media separation (DMS), and flotation from representative samples sourced from the Company's PAK Lithium deposit. Pyrometallurgy and the proprietary hydrometallurgical steps have successfully resulted in the production of small quantities of high-quality pregnant solution. The Company has performed preliminary crystallization test work that has resulted in 56.5% LiOH values on par with industry specifications. The Company is currently constructing a pilot plant to demonstrate continuous processing. The pilot testwork will produce larger quantities of PLS suitable for continuous crystallization with the objective of producing final high purity battery grade lithium hydroxide monohydrate from a steady state process.
The program results demonstrate the ability of Frontier to potentially produce lithium hydroxide within a 'ore-to-hydroxide' conversion route. The testwork will support the PEA study currently being conducted to access the viability of a vertically integrated chemical company through operation of a spodumene mine at the PAK Lithium Project to commercialization of high-purity lithium chemicals.
"Recent Provincial and Federal announcements have begun to lay the foundation for a regional, vertically integrated Battery Ecosystem supported by northern natural resources and Ontario's 96% zero-carbon sources of energy," stated Trevor Walker , President and CEO of Frontier Lithium. "Frontier is well positioned in the Great Lakes region as it develops Ontario's largest lithium bearing spodumene resource with multiple deposits which will be required to support North American lithium ion battery production capacity."
Due Diligence
All scientific and technical information in this release has been reviewed and approved by Garth Drever , P.Geo., the qualified person (QP) under the definitions established by National Instrument 43-101.
About Frontier Lithium Inc.
Frontier Lithium is a Sudbury based, publicly listed, junior mining company with the largest land position in an emerging premium lithium mineral district located in the Great Lakes region of northern Ontario . The company maintains 100% interest in the PAK Lithium Project which contains one of North America's highest-grade, large tonnage hard-rock lithium resources in the form of a rare low-iron spodumene. The Project has significant upside exploration potential. Frontier is a pre-production business that has recently commenced a Preliminary Economic Assessment study targeting the manufacturing of battery quality lithium hydroxide in the Great Lakes Region to support electric vehicle and battery supply chains in North America . Frontier maintains a tight share structure with management ownership approximately 30% of the Company.
About the PAK Lithium Project
The PAK Lithium Project encompasses 26,774 hectares at the south end of Ontario's Electric Avenue, which is the largest land package hosting lithium bearing pegmatites in Ontario . The Project covers 65km of the Avenue length and remains largely unexplored; however, since 2013 the company has delineated two premium spodumene bearing lithium deposits located 2.3 km from each other at the southwestern end of the project. Recently, Frontier confirmed the presence of spodumene with the Pennock Lake pegmatite occurrence a further 30km along Frontier's PAK Lithium Project. Frontier's premier Great Lakes location is advantaged by favorable geology, proven metallurgy with access to intermodal hubs, infrastructure, power, and mining and downstream lithium processing expertise.
The PAK deposit has a mineral reserve in the proven and probable categories of 5.77 MT averaging 2.06% Li 2 O. The deposit hosts a rare technical/ceramic grade spodumene with low inherent iron (below 0.1% Fe 2 O 3 ). The Spark Deposit, winner of the "2019 Discovery of the year award" has a mineral resource estimate of 3.2 MT averaging 1.59% Li 2 O (indicated) and 12.2 MT averaging 1.36% Li 2 O (inferred), as per the NI 43-101 Technical Report, "PAK prefeasibility study, Spark resource estimation" by WSP Canada Inc. and Nordmin Engineering Ltd., updated on March 23, 2020 . The Company recently initiated a Preliminary Economic Assessment study for a fully integrated project producing lithium hydroxide from the PAK Lithium Project.
Forward-looking Statements
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 release. This release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address future production, reserve potential, exploration drilling, exploitation activities and events or developments that the Company expects are forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward looking statements include market prices, exploitation and exploration successes, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and those actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. For more information on the Company, Investors should review the Company's registered filings available at sedar.com
SOURCE Frontier Lithium Inc.