LiTHOS Announces Positive Results from AcQUA™ Technology Lithium Brine Tests with SQM on Salar de Atacama Brines

Rhea-AI Summary

LiTHOS Group (CBOE CA: LITS) (OTCQB: LITSF) has announced successful laboratory-scale tests of its AcQUA™ pre-treatment technology on lithium brine from SQM's Salar de Atacama. The tests demonstrated high lithium yield recovery and effective impurity removal, including magnesium, boric acid, calcium, and sulfates. AcQUA™ uses a patent-pending hybrid electropressure membrane process that increases lithium concentration without freshwater or harmful chemicals. This technology eliminates the need for evaporation ponds, reducing the environmental footprint of lithium mining. LiTHOS operates two processing facilities in Denver, CO, and Bessemer, AL, and is working with strategic mineral resource owners in Chile, Argentina, and the United States.

Positive

• Successful laboratory-scale tests of AcQUA™ technology with SQM brines
• High lithium yield recovery and effective impurity removal achieved
• Innovative technology eliminates need for freshwater and harmful chemicals
• Reduces environmental footprint by eliminating evaporation ponds
• Strengthens LiTHOS's position to meet growing global lithium demand

Negative

• None.

Mining Technology Expert

LiTHOS's AcQUA™ technology demonstrates promising advancements in lithium extraction. The hybrid electropressure membrane process achieves high impurity rejection rates without using freshwater or harmful chemicals, addressing key environmental concerns in lithium mining. This innovative approach could potentially disrupt traditional extraction methods, offering a more sustainable alternative to evaporation ponds.

However, it's important to note that these are laboratory-scale tests. The scalability and cost-effectiveness of AcQUA™ technology in real-world operations remain to be proven. While the results are encouraging, investors should be cautious about overestimating the immediate impact on LiTHOS's market position until full-scale implementation is achieved.

Environmental Sustainability Analyst

The AcQUA™ technology's ability to eliminate evaporation ponds represents a significant environmental breakthrough in lithium extraction. This could substantially reduce water consumption and land use, critical issues in water-stressed regions where lithium is often mined. The technology's alignment with global environmental standards positions LiTHOS favorably in an industry under increasing scrutiny for its ecological impact.

However, the full lifecycle environmental impact of the AcQUA™ process, including energy consumption and waste management, needs further assessment. While promising, investors should await comprehensive environmental impact studies and third-party validations to fully gauge the technology's sustainability credentials.

Battery Industry Analyst

The high purity lithium produced by AcQUA™ technology is crucial for advanced battery manufacturing. The ability to effectively remove impurities like magnesium, boric acid, calcium and sulfates is essential for high-performance batteries. This could potentially position LiTHOS as a key supplier in the EV and energy storage markets, where demand for high-quality lithium is soaring.

However, the competitive landscape is intense, with numerous companies developing DLE technologies. LiTHOS will need to demonstrate clear cost and efficiency advantages at commercial scale to secure a significant market share. Investors should closely monitor progress towards commercial production and any strategic partnerships or offtake agreements that could validate the technology's market potential.

SQM DLE team have found AcQUA™ technology viable, and the results encouraging

VANCOUVER, BC, Aug. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ - LiTHOS Group Ltd. ("LiTHOS" or the "Company") (CBOE CA: LITS) (OTCQB: LITSF) (FSE: YU8) (WKN: A3ES4Q), a leader in sustainable lithium brine production technologies, is pleased to announce the successful completion of laboratory-scale tests using its AcQUA™ pre-treatment technology. These results were obtained from a series of successful fluid processing tests with global lithium producer SQM (NYSE: SQM, Santiago Stock Exchange: SQM-A, SQM-B). AcQUA™ pre-treatment demonstrated robust lithium yield recovery together with impurity removal. The tests were conducted at LiTHOS's state-of-the-art facility in Bessemer, Alabama.

Key Achievements:

Exceptional Purity: AcQUA™ technology has achieved interesting rejection rates of Magnesium, Boric acid (HBO₃), Calcium (CaCl), and Sulfates (S0₄), requirements that are essential for producing high-purity lithium, crucial for battery manufacturing.

Innovative Technology: Unlike traditional methods, AcQUA™ uses a patent-pending, hybrid electropressure membrane process that increases lithium concentration without the use of freshwater and harmful chemicals, marking a significant step forward in sustainable mining technologies.

Environmental Benefits: By eliminating the need for evaporation ponds, AcQUA™ technology substantially reduces the footprint of lithium mining. This aligns with global environmental standards and supports the industry's shift towards sustainable practices.

"The positive outcome from our latest tests on SQM field brines with AcQUA™ technology affirms our dedication to collaborating and validating our technology with SQM, which is a leading global lithium producer focused on sustainability," said Scott Taylor, CEO of LiTHOS. "These achievements not only differentiate us within the industry but also enhance our competitive position, demonstrating our potential to meet the increasing demand for high-purity lithium crucial for renewable energy technologies."

Operational and Technological Advantages: 

The efficacy of AcQUA™ technology has been validated, strengthening LiTHOS's capability to meet the growing global demand efficiently. These advancements support the company's mission to enhance sustainability and operational efficiency in lithium extraction.

Environmental Impact and Strategic Positioning: 

Committed to minimizing environmental impacts, LiTHOS's use of AcQUA™ technology can eliminate the need for traditional evaporation ponds, significantly reducing the footprint associated with lithium mining. This strategic approach adheres to stringent environmental standards and positions LiTHOS to leverage opportunities in a market that increasingly values sustainable practices.

About LiTHOS

LiTHOS Group Ltd. is a mining technology company focused on the selective extraction of aqueous minerals. The Company's AcQUA™ technology allows lithium to be extracted from continental brine reservoirs without additional freshwater or any added chemicals or reagents. Lithium is now among the world's most in-demand metals as the world "electrifies" to reduce CO₂ emissions, led by continuing growth in EV sales and the installation of hundreds of gigawatts of intermittent solar power generation capacity requiring partial battery storage solutions.

The Company's mission is to produce sustainable lithium without evaporation ponds. AcQUA™ is LiTHOS's patent-pending technology that spans the complete value chain from the conditioning and pre-treatment of raw brines through the DLE phase into the polishing and purification of battery-grade lithium feedstock. LiTHOS has two processing facilities: a 4,000 sq ft lab in Denver, CO, and a 50,000+ sq ft complex in Bessemer, AL., where LiTHOS has flexible expansion options.

LiTHOS is working with multiple strategic mineral resource owners, including brines from the largest Salars in Chile and Argentina and the Smackover reservoir in the Southeastern United States. Our wholly-owned subsidiary, Aqueous Resources LLC, is a US Department of Energy grant awardee and a Colorado Advanced Industries grant awardee. For more information, please get in touch with LiTHOS Investor Relations at 1-877-LITHOS1 / 1-877-548-4671 or via email at info@LiTHOStechnology.com.

Stay up-to-date on LiTHOS developments by joining our online communities through LinkedIn and X.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

Scott Taylor - CEO

Forward-Looking Statements: This news release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation, including with respect to: the plans of the Company; the purposed use of funds of the Second Tranche; and statements relating to the closing of additional tranches of the offering. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts; they are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "intends," "estimates," "projects," "aims," "potential," "goal," "objective," "prospective," and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will," "would," "may," "can," "could" or "should" occur, or are those statements, which, by their nature, refer to future events. The Company cautions that forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made and involve several risks and uncertainties, including additional tranches of the offering may not close on the terms announced or at all; that the Company may use the proceeds of the Second Tranche for purposes other than those disclosed in this news release; adverse market conditions; and other factors beyond the control of the Company. Consequently, there can be no assurances that such statements will prove to be accurate, and that actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements.

Important factors that could cause future results to differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements include: limited operating history; research and development activities; effect of general economic and political conditions; and other risk factors set forth in the Company's public filings which are available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. Accordingly, the reader is urged to refer to the Company's such filings for a more complete discussion of such risk factors and their potential effects. Except to the extent required by applicable securities laws and the policies of Cboe Canada Inc., the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements if management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors should change.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lithos-announces-positive-results-from-acqua-technology-lithium-brine-tests-with-sqm-on-salar-de-atacama-brines-302226011.html

SOURCE Lithos Group Ltd.

FAQ

What were the results of LiTHOS's AcQUA™ technology tests on SQM's Salar de Atacama brines?

LiTHOS's AcQUA™ technology demonstrated high lithium yield recovery and effective removal of impurities such as magnesium, boric acid, calcium, and sulfates in laboratory-scale tests on SQM's Salar de Atacama brines.

How does LiTHOS's AcQUA™ technology differ from traditional lithium extraction methods?

AcQUA™ uses a patent-pending hybrid electropressure membrane process that increases lithium concentration without the use of freshwater or harmful chemicals, eliminating the need for evaporation ponds and reducing the environmental footprint of lithium mining.

What are the environmental benefits of LiTHOS's AcQUA™ technology for lithium extraction?

AcQUA™ technology eliminates the need for evaporation ponds, substantially reducing the environmental footprint of lithium mining. It aligns with global environmental standards and supports the industry's shift towards more sustainable practices.

Where are LiTHOS's processing facilities located?

LiTHOS operates two processing facilities: a 4,000 sq ft lab in Denver, CO, and a 50,000+ sq ft complex in Bessemer, AL, with flexible expansion options.