Lithium Australia set to progress VSPC patents and LieNA pilot plant in the near-term

Lithium Australia NL (ASX:LIT) (OTCMKTS:LMMFF) (FRA:3MW) is progressing its over-arching strategy to develop a suite of proprietary technologies to provide a seamless lithium-ion battery (LIBs) production cycle that minimises the number of steps required to progress from mining through to cathode material and battery production.

The company is focused on energy-metal recovery from spent LIBs, refining lithium chemicals as feed for the production of advanced cathode powders, manufacturing advanced cathode powders for LIBs and recovering lithium from ore and waste materials (including spent LIBs).

In recent months, the company’s wholly-owned subsidiary VSPC Ltd’s patent application for its proprietary cathode material manufacturing process has been accepted.

In addition, the LieNA (recovery of lithium from low-grade spodumene without roasting) pilot plant has been given the green light and the company has also been granted the US patent for its SiLeach extraction technology – with an Australian patent expected in the near-term.

VSPC patent progresses

Last month VSPC received notice of acceptance for the patent application for its proprietary cathode material manufacturing process from IP Australia.

During the past two years, VSPC has simplified its process for the production of lithium metal phosphate cathode powders, enabling the use of a broader range of raw materials as feed.

This has significantly reduced the cost of manufacturing lithium ferro phosphate (LFP) and other lithium metal phosphate materials, among them lithium manganese iron phosphate (LMFP).

The filing of the Australian patent application sets a worldwide priority date for the invention and provides 20 years of intellectual property protection within Australia. 

In addition, in February, the European Patent Office granted the VSPC patent for its process of producing nanostructured metal-oxide products simply and efficiently.

Reducing chemical costs

VSPC’s patented process technology reduces chemical costs by 15%, which is considerable, as chemicals used typically account for more than two-thirds of the entire cost of cathode material manufacture.

The technology also integrates well with VSPC’s upstream technology for low-cost production of iron reagents – an outcome of work under a project co-funded by the Australian Manufacturing Growth Centre – which reduces chemical costs by a further 10%.

VSPC is set to capitalise on a lithium ferro phosphate battery market that is expected to expand by 500 per cent by 2030.

Cathode powders produced using the VSPC process – the left image shows particle aggregates (scale bar: 10 microns) and the right image shows the individual particles (scale bar: 100 nanometres).

LieNA Pilot test 

Last month, the LieNA pilot plant was given the green light, with the company preparing to test its unique LieNA® spodumene conversion process.

Currently, when spodumene ore is converted to commercial concentrates, somewhere between 25 and 50% of the lithium within the ore fed to the concentrator is lost.

The LieNA process is designed to remedy this loss and can reduce the mining costs associated with lithium chemical production.

Autoclave construction is now underway, with plans for fabrication of the rest of the plant well-advanced at the facilities of Australia’s Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), which will construct and operate the plant.

The initial pilot-plant test run is scheduled for September 2021 and the program will be completed with a pre-feasibility study of the LieNA process.

US patent for lithium extraction technology

In February the company was granted the US patent for its SiLeach extraction technology, which can produce a range of lithium chemicals, including lithium hydroxide, lithium carbonate and lithium phosphate. 

The granting of the US patent is timely given increased interest in the extraction of lithium from clays in North America and with the lithium ferrophosphate (LFP) sector the most rapidly expanding in the industry.

The patent now provides the company with 17 years of legal protection in the US and an Australian patent for the process is expected to be granted shortly which will mean 20 years of legal protection in the country.

SiLeach pilot plant operations at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation

European exploration exposure reduced

The company also recently reduced its exploration tenure in Germany after COVID-19 restrictions rendered work in the historic mining areas in the Erzgebirge (Ore Mountains) in Saxony almost impossible.

The company has held tenure in Hegelshöhe, Eichight and Sadisdorf since 2017, but restricted activities along with the financial commitments required to maintain projects in the area have led to a reduction in activities.

The Sadisdorf licence has now run full term and has not been renewed, Eichight has been relinquished and the company is yet to make a decision on the future of Hegelshöhe.

Leveraging battery materials in Europe

Looking forwards, Lithium Australia aims to maintain leverage to battery materials in Europe and sees the application of LieNA as having great potential, since it can produce the ideal feed for the production of lithium ferro phosphate (LFP) batteries.

With Europe awakening to the benefits of LFP and, through company subsidiary VSPC Ltd, Lithium Australia is confident it has the technology to revolutionise its production.

Story by ProactiveInvestors