Lithium Australia provides update on SiLeach lithium tech

LithiumAustralia (ASX:LIT) today provided an update on the progress of its cuttingedge SiLeach (R) plant design.

Itsfront-end engineering and design (FEED) activities are progressing as plannedwith undertakings including preliminary equipment specifications, materialselection, infrastructure, assessment of contracting strategies, discussionwith vendors selected for the supply of specialised equipment, and logistic andscheduling activities. The FEED study is scheduled for completion in the thirdquarter of 2018.

LITalso reported that detailed metallurgical test work is well advanced. The testwork is designed to confirm final process design criteria in key areas of theflowsheet, including beneficiation, acid digestion and removal of impurities.

Additionally,test work aimed at optimising acid digestion and removal of impurities has beenconducted at ANSTO (Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisations)Minerals' facility at Lucas Heights in NSW.

Thisled to lithium leach extractions of more than 90% for lower-grade leach-feedmica samples, an improvement on those earlier reported of 89% lithium on feedmaterial of 4.5% Li2O. This result is significant in that higherrecoveries have the potential to reduce capital costs in several unit processesof the LSPP. The work confirms that, overall, SiLeach (R) recoveries are expectedto be in excess of 86% lithium compared to previously reported results of 82.8%lithium.

LITManaging Director Adrian Griffin said, "The FEED study is advancing well andthe improvements in lithium recovery are very encouraging. We're pleased withthe increase in confidence around by-product recovery, which is an importantaspect of the SiLeach (R) revenue stream - we believe it will allow us to producelithium chemicals from minerals but at the same low unit cost as that of thebrine producers.

"Preliminarydiscussions with potential off-take partners have been encouraging and ourplanned laboratory-scale pilot run at ANSTO, while aimed primarily atfinalising the flowsheet for construction, will generate significant amounts oflithium chemical product for testing by potential off-take partners."

It should benoted that LIT is an early stage play and anything can happen, so seekprofessional financial advice if considering this stock for your portfolio.