Lithium carbonate first batch. Source: Neo Lithium Corporation

Neo Lithium has successfully sourced brines from the Tres Quebradas (3Q) lithium project in Catamarca, Argentina, permitting Neo Lithium to produce highly pure lithium carbonate at their fully-operational pilot plant in Fiambalá, Argentina, which has been operational since May 2019 and has a production capacity of 40 tons per year.

This milestone puts Neo Lithium on pace to begin producing battery-grade lithium carbonate in the fourth quarter of 2019. The 3Q project is estimated to hold 1.2 Mt of lithium carbonate and has a mine life of approximately 35 years. It is one of the highest grade, lowest impurity lithium reservoirs in the world.

The first batch of lithium carbonate was produced from an industrial-scale evaporation pond at the 3Q project salar. The brine was produced in approximately six months. The only chemical reagent added was a minor amount of hydrochloric acid to adjust the pH during the final stage of evaporation.

Processing of the concentrated brine included a solvent extraction phase for boron removal, a sulfatation phase for calcium removal and a liming and carbonation phase to remove magnesium and any remaining calcium. Lithium carbonate is then produced by three stages of soda ash carbonation, washing and drying.

Neo Lithium produced lithium carbonate with a purity of 99.1% from their first batch of production. With a proof of concept completed, they are well on pace to commence production of battery-grade lithium carbonate in 2019.