LiTHOS Validates AcQUA™ Pre-treatment Technology on Lithium Enriched Brines provided by Multi-National Customer
- Successful validation of impurity removal from raw field brines using AcQUA™ pre-treatment technology
- Impressive results including 89% lithium chloride recovery efficiency, 99% magnesium rejection, 100% sulfate and boric acid rejection, with zero water and chemical usage
- Robust impurity rejection rates, environmental sustainability, scalability, and reliable operations
- None.
Insights
The recent announcement by LiTHOS Group Ltd. about their AcQUA™ pre-treatment technology showcases a significant advancement in lithium brine processing. The reported 89% lithium chloride recovery efficiency and the complete rejection of impurities such as magnesium, sulfate and boric acid, without the use of water or chemicals, marks a notable improvement over traditional evaporation pond methods and existing competitors.
This development could potentially reduce operational costs and increase the viability of lithium extraction projects, particularly in areas where water resources are scarce or environmental regulations are stringent. Companies in the lithium extraction industry are under increasing pressure to adopt more sustainable and efficient technologies and LiTHOS's innovation could position them favorably in the market. The scalability of the technology, using globally available equipment, further reduces the risk for potential investors and industry partners considering adoption.
From a market perspective, this could lead to a re-evaluation of lithium extraction companies' stocks, as investors seek to capitalize on efficient and environmentally friendly technologies. LiTHOS's market position may strengthen if they can successfully scale and commercialize their technology, potentially impacting the valuation of competitors who rely on more traditional extraction methods.
The environmental implications of LiTHOS's AcQUA™ technology are profound. The elimination of evaporation ponds addresses a major environmental concern associated with lithium mining, which is the destruction of local ecosystems and the massive water consumption typically required. By removing the need for freshwater and chemicals in the pre-treatment process, LiTHOS is setting a new standard for sustainable practices in the industry.
Moreover, the ability to reinject lithium-deficient brines back into the environment without chemical additives could significantly minimize the ecological footprint of lithium extraction operations. As global demand for electric vehicles and renewable energy storage systems increases, the market is likely to favor companies that can demonstrate both economic efficiency and environmental responsibility. This positions LiTHOS to potentially capture a larger market share, especially as regulatory bodies and consumers increasingly prioritize sustainability.
From a chemical engineering standpoint, the AcQUA™ technology represents a leap in the pre-treatment of lithium brines. The high impurity rejection rates, particularly for magnesium and sulfate, are critical because these impurities can significantly hinder the efficiency of downstream Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) processes. By achieving non-detect levels for these impurities, LiTHOS is likely to improve the overall efficacy and throughput of DLE, which is essential for meeting the growing demand for high-purity lithium compounds used in battery manufacturing.
The absence of water and chemical usage in the AcQUA™ process not only has environmental benefits but also reduces the complexity and potential variability in the pre-treatment process. This could lead to more consistent product quality and lower maintenance requirements, which are important factors for the scalability and reliability of lithium production operations. The chemical engineering community will be keenly interested in the detailed operational data and long-term performance metrics of this technology as it scales up.
- Results validate nearly flawless impurity removal from Lithium Brines with AcQUA™ pre-treatment flowsheets using customer field brines.
- Results demonstrate superior Lithium recovery in comparison to its current competitors as well as traditional methods using evaporation ponds.
- Unlike other technologies, LiTHOS' patent-pending AcQUA™ brine processing technology does not require chemicals or any fresh water.
- The demonstration scale processing plant uses equipment that is available globally from a variety of well-established vendors significantly reducing scale-up risk.
Scott
LiTHOS, is pleased to announce the completion of conditioning and pre-treatment of super-saturated field brines whereby LiTHOS successfully achieved all technical and operational targets including:
- Lithium chloride recovery efficiency of at least
89% 1 - >
99% Magnesium rejection approaching rejection to non-detect 100% Sulfate (S04) rejection to non-detect100% Boric acid rejection to non-detect- Zero water usage.
- Zero chemical usage
This accomplishment represents a pivotal step in the company's mission of eliminating the use of evaporation ponds and scaling lithium supply and production efficiencies while minimizing local environmental impacts. Furthermore, the successful elimination of magnesium and sulfates is a key component to enable subsequent DLE throughput capacity at a meaningful industrial scale.
_______________________________ |
1 *Measuring Lithium Chloride with a titration-based approach can often result in errors of up to |
- LiTHOS demonstration scale pilot-plant has achieved superior lithium recovery.
- LiTHOS process uses no acid consumption.
- LiTHOS process uses no fresh water (net water consumption is zero).
Lilac Solutions was founded in 2017, has raised over
On December 18, 2023 Lilac published the following results in Table 1 Below. Key performance indicators for Lilac IX unit in Kachi Demonstration Plant and DFS Commercial Design.
(1) Assumes full utilization of reverse osmosis (RO) for water recovery, RO was partially implemented in the Demonstration Plant
(2) Mechanical testing of a commercial-scale lithium extraction unit with brine and water completed in
______________________________ |
2 Lilac Solutions Celebrates Successful Completion of Kachi Demonstration Plant - Lilac Solutions |
1. High Performance Removal of Key Impurities which choke downstream DLE performance:
- The demonstration plant showcases AcQUA™ pre-treatment technology robust impurity rejection rates.
2. Environmentally Sustainable.
- AcQUA™ eliminates the need for evaporation ponds traditionally used for processing brine.
- AcQUA™ eliminates any requirement for freshwater by
100% relative to conventional DLE technologies. - AcQUA™ has no requirement for Acid reagents.
3. Scalability and Reliable Operations:
- LiTHOS' current pilot-demonstration plant uses equipment that is common in industrial applications and available globally from a variety of well-established vendors.
- This initial design and delivery approach significantly reduces scale-up risk and increases process uptime.
The 2023 Goldman Sachs report3 outlines the importance of the reservoir specific content of magnesium (Mg/Li ratio on Y-axis) and sulfates (SO4/Li ratio on X-Axis) and the requirement for their removal to enable DLE at a meaningful industrial scale: "As impurity ratios will impact the ultimate recovery of projects, including in DLE implementation, we outline the impurity ratios of key projects vs. lithium concentration and resource size in the chart below, where typically in a traditional brine pond high impurities are more expensive to process."
______________________________ |
3 Global Metals & Mining. Direct Lithium Extraction: A potential game changing technology Page 17, Exhibit 23: Magnesium ratio (Mg/Li) vs. SO4 ratio (SO4/Li); bubble size of contained lithium resource. |
Lithium is now among one of the world's most in-demand metals as the world "electrifies" to limit 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 deliver sustainable lithium production without the use of evaporation ponds. AcQUA™ is LiTHOS' 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 fully operational processing facilities: a 4,000 sq ft lab in
LiTHOS is working under contract with multiple strategic mineral resource owners and processing brines from the largest Salars in
Connect with LiTHOS: Website | Email | LinkedIn
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD
Scott
Forward-Looking Statements: This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian legislation. All statements in this news release that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements and include statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations and orientations regarding the future including, without limitation, the Company's market position in the industry of sustainable lithium production and increase in the capacity of the Company's facilities. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable and reflect expectations of future developments and other factors which management believes to be reasonable and relevant, the Company can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as: "believes", "expects", "anticipates", "intends", "estimates", "plans", "may", "should", "would", "will", "potential", "scheduled" or variations of such words and phrases and similar expressions, which, by their nature, refer to future events or results that may, could, would, might or will occur or be taken or achieved. In making the forward-looking statements in this news release, the Company has applied several material assumptions, including without limitation, that the Company's facilities will be able to handle the increased demand. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. Such risks and other factors include, but are not limited to, the failure of the Company's facilities to handle increased demand and the potential that that Company's market position does not increase as expected. Further, the ongoing labour shortages, inflationary pressures, rising interest rates, the global financial climate and the conflict in
View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lithos-validates-acqua-pre-treatment-technology-on-lithium-enriched-brines-provided-by-multi-national-customer-302055684.html
SOURCE Lithos Group
FAQ
What technology did LiTHOS Group Ltd. use for impurity removal from raw field brines?
What were the key achievements of LiTHOS Group Ltd. in the press release?
How does the AcQUA™ technology compare to Lilac Solutions?
What did the 2023 Goldman Sachs report outline about impurity removal in lithium enriched brines?
