JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Perth-based Lithium Australia has been granted a second Innovation Connections grant under the entrepreneurs programme run by the country’s Department of Industry and Science.
This builds on the grant it received in March, as well as augmenting the Minerals Research Institute of Western Australia grant received for commercialisation of impurity removal and by-product generation during production of battery-grade lithium.
Under the terms of the grant, this additional funding of A$50 000 will assist Lithium Australia with laboratory scale optimisation carried out by its partner Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation Minerals, focusing on the application of Lithium Australia’s Sileach process to aid the recovery of lithium.
The process is designed to recover lithium from silicates without the expensive roasting step that has long been the mainstay of the lithium recovery process.
“Our process has the potential to catapult Australia into the forefront of the lithium battery boom by supplying optimal grade and purity material from low-energy production of lithium chemicals. These chemicals can be produced from a range of minerals, including spodumene,” Lithium Australia MD Adrian Griffin said.
He added that the company welcomed the continued support, allowing it to be innovative, noting that the “ideas boom” ideally suited the project development goals.