Piedmont widens hunt in the US

2nd July 2018 By: Esmarie Iannucci - Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor: Australasia

PERTH (miningweekly.com) – Junior Piedmont Lithium has started a by-product study at its Piedmont lithium project, in the US, to evaluate potential quartz, feldspar and mica concentrate by-products.

The ASX-listed company said on Monday that it would include revenue potential from by-products in an update of the scoping study, which would be released in late July.

“While many spodumene pegmatites include quartz, feldspar and mica mineralisation, most are located too remotely to economically serve the important markets for these products,” said Piedmont president and CEO Keith Phillips.

“Given our location in the industrial heartland of the US, there is potential to deliver into the large glass, ceramic, building products and technology businesses that are based in our region and have great need for these minerals.”

Phillips said that the North Carolina State University’s Minerals Research Lab has completed bench scale flotation tests and iron removal for quartz, feldspar and mica concentrates.

Assays were pending for these tests, and the data and samples from these will be provided to potential offtake partners to evaluate commercial potential.