- Rock Tech Lithium (TSXV:RCK) has expanded its addressable market into the cement industry thanks to results from a new peer-reviewed study published by the German Lithium Institute
- The study found that leached spodumene concentrate, a by-product from Rock Tech’s lithium hydroxide conversion process, strengthens cement when used as a precursor material
- Rock Tech is building a closed-loop production system to supply the electric vehicle and battery markets with sustainable, locally produced lithium
- Rock Tech Lithium stock has lost 18 per cent year-over-year, but has gained 182.76 per cent since 2019
Rock Tech Lithium (TSXV:RCK) has expanded its addressable market into the cement industry thanks to results from a new peer-reviewed study published by the German Lithium Institute.
The study found that leached spodumene concentrate (LSC) – a by-product from Rock Tech’s lithium hydroxide conversion process – improves the compressive strength of Portland cement, the most used cement worldwide, by 10 per cent when 20 per cent LSC is added.
The by-product from Rock Tech’s lithium hydroxide converter plant in Guben, Germany, could serve as a replacement for fly ash, a by-product of coal-fired power generation, granting the company an additional revenue source while reducing emissions in the German cement industry.
Rock Tech has submitted an application to patent the process for producing and utilizing LSC.
Rock Tech’s pioneering German converter plant
Rock Tech recently broke ground on Europe’s first lithium converter plant in Guben, Brandenburg, Germany. The facility will produce up to 24,000 tons of lithium hydroxide per year, which is sufficient to build approximately 500,000 electric batteries, and boasts a post-tax net present value (8 per cent) of US$1.24 billion. Management plans to further develop the plant’s material recycling capabilities to become the first zero-waste lithium company in the world.
Study details
Doctoral candidate and Institute for Technologies and Economics of Lithium (ITEL) scholarship holder Julia Woskowski conducted the study within the mineralogy and geochemistry research group at the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg.
Rock Tech co-founded ITEL in 2021 to foster carbon-neutral lithium recycling in Germany.
Leadership insights
“The phase-out of coal and the transformation of the steel industry will sooner or later lead to changed or disappearing material streams that have been significant for the cement industry in terms of carbon savings and product portfolio,” Andreas Neumann, a member of the research group, said in a statement. “The LSC from lithium production has the potential to compensate for these depleting material streams in the future.”
“ITEL’s study takes us a big step further on our path to carbon neutrality and becoming the first zero-waste lithium company worldwide,” said Jannik Schmitz, supply chain manager at Rock Tech Lithium. “It is important to note that the suitability of LSC as a cement additive is independent of the origin of the spodumene used. This confirms our choice of production process and our procurement strategy to source spodumene from several sustainably producing sources.”
“The use of industrial residues from lithium production in cements and concretes significantly contributes to the conservation of valuable natural resources,” added Thomas Neumann, head of research and development at SCHWENK, an ITEL shareholder that offers cement, concrete, sand and gravel, and pumping services in Germany. “Through innovative material use, we make an important contribution to achieving our sustainability goals. By integrating these residues, we can not only reduce environmental impact but also decrease carbon emissions.”
About Rock Tech Lithium
Rock Tech is building a closed-loop production system to supply the electric vehicle and battery markets with sustainable, locally produced lithium. The company’s second converter will be built in Red Rock, Ontario, with raw material sourced from its Georgia Lake spodumene project in the Thunder Bay mining district.
Rock Tech Lithium stock (TSXV:RCK) is up by 1.86 per cent, trading at C$1.64 per share as of 9:51 am ET. The stock has lost 18 per cent year-over-year, but has gained 182.76 per cent since 2019.
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