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Rock Tech Produces 99.96% Lithium Carbonate and Achieves 81.5% Spodumene Concentrate Recovery
ID: 431256
(firmenpresse) - Value Relations GmbH / Schlagwort(e): Energie/
Rock Tech Produces 99.96% Lithium Carbonate and Achieves 81.5%
Spodumene Concentrate Recovery
DGAP-Media / 27.06.2011 / 17:15
Rock Tech Produces 99.96% Lithium Carbonate and Achieves 81.5% Spodumene
Concentrate Recovery
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, June 27, 2011 - Rock Tech Lithium Inc.
(TSX-Venture: RCK; Frankfurt: RJIA; Pink Sheets: RCKTF) (the 'Company' or
'Rock Tech') is pleased to announce the preliminary results from its
metallurgical tests conducted on a bulk sample taken from its Georgia Lake
lithium project.
Highlights of these tests include the following:
- Lithium carbonate (Li2CO3) with purity of 99.96%.
- A high-grade spodumene concentrate of 6.2% lithium oxide (Li2O), with a
75.5% spodumene recovery rate utilizing heavy liquid separation (HLS).
- A high-grade spodumene concentrate of 6.2% Li2O, with an 81.5%
spodumene recovery rate utilizing floatation testing.
Though specification for lithium carbonate (Li2CO3) purity varies among
battery manufacturers, purity must meet or exceed a minimum of 99.5%.
Applying the standard Li2CO3 hydrometallurgical flow sheet, without any
optimization of the Georgia Lake bulk samples, the purity level of>99.96%
Li2CO3 that was achieved, according to SGS Mineral Services, is an
excellent result for the first attempt at producing lithium carbonate.
Company President and CEO, Eunho Lee, commented, 'The preliminary
metallurgical test results have exceeded our expectations. The results
indicate, through a Heavy Liquid Separation operation, a high-grade
concentrate with high rates of recovery can be generated, indicating the
potential for significant savings on future capital and operating expenses.
We are extremely pleased with the purity of the lithium carbonate that was
produced. These results provide us with the platform upon which we can
advance discussions with potential battery manufacturers. Additionally,
with process optimization and on-going research and testing by SGS
Lakefield, we can look forward to potentially higher purity levels of
lithium carbonate. The results of the metallurgical test marks the
achievement of a major milestone for Rock Tech and its shareholders.'
About Metallurgy Test
A bulk sample of approximately 800 kilograms was sent to SGS Mineral
Services (Lakefield, Ontario) laboratories at the end February 2011. The
sample was a mixture of blasted surface and drill core spodumene pegmatite
material from the Nama Creek Main Zone. The blasted rock sample was
collected from three different locations; similarly, the drill core sample
was collected by drilling 3 NQ sized short drill holes ranging in depth
from 32 metres to 47 metres below ground surface. All samples were
initially crushed to a½inch and approximately 75 kilograms of each
crushed sample was removed and further crushed to a -6 mesh powder. A
subsample was taken from the -6 mesh powder sample and submitted for HLS
and floatation testing. HLS methodology resulted in 75.5% recovery with
6.2% Li2O on high grade samples (i.e.,>1.6% Li2O) and 68.2% recovery with
6.3% Li2O on lower grade samples (i.e., 0.69% Li2O) indicating consistency
of metallurgical behaviour of spodumene pegmatite material from the Georgia
Lake Nama Creek Main Zone. The lithium loss in HLS test was low (about 1.1%
based on the original head composite.
In parallel to HLS testing, floatation testing was performed on the whole
composite resulted in a recovery of 81.5% spodumene concentrate grading
6.15% Li2O. The remaining 18.5 % lithium was lost in the spodumene
scavenger tail, mica concentrate, combined slimes and cyclone overflow.
The standard lithium carbonate hydrometallurgical flow sheet (see below)
was applied to the low iron concentrate sample produced by SGS Mineral
Services. The objective of the exercise was to produce the first market
sample of Li2CO3.
Diagram 1: Standard Li2CO3 Hydrometallurgical Flow Sheet
Acid Roasted?-Spodumene>Concentrate Leach>Primary Impurity Removal
(Fe, Al)>Secondary Impurity Removal (Ca, Mg, Mn)>Ion-Exchange>Li2CO3
Precipitate>Bicarbonate Polish
The samples were processed at SGS Lakefield Mineral Services, under the
supervision of senior metallurgists Massoud Aghamirian, Ph.D., and Stephen
Mackie, Ph.D. Additional process optimization is in progress to refine
the sample to meet the specifications for calcium and to further improve
the lithium carbonate grade.
The preliminary laboratory sample results for lithium carbonate grades are
presented in the table below:
Lithium Specification Rock Tech LithiumSource: SGS Mineral Services, Lakefield, Ontario
Carbonate First Product
Sample 1 Sample 2 Average
Grade - PCT.>99.5% 99.9673% 99.9582% 99.9628%
The preliminary laboratory sample results for other elements and their
associated grades are presented in the table below:
Element Specificati Rock Tech Lithium - FirstSource: SGS Mineral Services, Lakefield, Ontario
on Product
Sample 1 Sample 2 Average
Sodium (Na)<400 PPM<20 PPM<20 PPM<20
PPM
Sulphur (S)<200 PPM 100 PPM 200 PPM 150 PPM
Chlorides<100 PPM<10 PPM<10 PPM<10
PPM
(Cl)
Calcium<100 PPM 210 PPM 200 PPM 205 PPM
Magnesium<100 PPM 15.2 PPM 17 PPM 16 PPM
(Mg)
Potassium<50 PPM<20 PPM<20 PPM<20
PPM
(K)
Boron (B)<10 PPM<4 PPM<4 PPM<4
PPM
Iron (Fe)<5 PPM<2 PPM<2 PPM<2
PPM
Chromium<5 PPM<1 PPM<1 PPM<1
PPM
(Cr)
Nickel (Ni)<5 PPM<5 PPM<5 PPM<5
PPM
Copper (Cu)<5 PPM 1 PPM 1 PPM 1 PPM
Lead (Pb)<5 PPM<1 PPM<1 PPM<1
PPM
Aluminium<5 PPM<8 PPM<8 PPM<8
PPM
(Al)
Zinc (Zn)<5 PPM<5 PPM<5PPM<5
PPM
Manganese<5 PPM 0.4 PPM 0.4 PPM 0.4 PPM
(Mn)
Technical information of this news release has been reviewed by Afzaal
Pirzada, P.Geo., Vice President, Exploration of the Company and a Qualified
Person as defined in NI 43-101.
ABOUT GEORGIA LAKE LITHIUM PROJECT
Rock Tech's 100% owned Georgia Lake lithium project is comprised of 64
mining claims, covering 10,432 hectares in 652 units, and 81 mining leases
covering 1,049.78 hectares. The property is located about 145 kilometres
northeast of the city of Thunder Bay, Ontario. The project has a
cumulative, historical resource estimate of 9,777,807 tons grading 1.18%
Li2O (lithium oxide) (source: E.G.Pye, 1965, Geological Report 31, Ontario
Department of Mines) based on 33,000 metres of diamond drilling, over 200
drill holes, carried out in the late 1950s (cautionary note: historical
resource estimates are not NI 43-101 compliant and should not be relied
upon). Underground development carried out during that period on the Nama
Creek claim block included a vertical, four-compartment shaft sunk to a
depth of 153.3 meters (503 feet). Since the acquisition of the project in
late 2009, Rock Tech has completed over 8,000 metres of drilling, collected
a bulk sample for metallurgical testing and conducted other ground
exploration work with a plan to bring the historical resource to current NI
43-101 standards and move the project to the feasibility stage.
On behalf of the Board of Directors,
'Eunho Lee'
Eunho Lee
Director, President and CEO
For more information, please contact:
Brad Barnett
Controller and Senior Manager, Business Affairs
Rock Tech Lithium Inc.
789 West Pender Street, Suite 1205
Vancouver, B.C., V6C 1H2
Telephone: (604) 688-1140
Facsimile: (604) 688-1173
Email: info(at)rocktechlithium.com
Disclaimer and Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as
that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts
responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release. This
news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of
an offer to buy securities in any jurisdiction.
All statements, trend analysis and other information contained in this
press release relative to markets about anticipated future events or
results constitute forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements
are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as 'seek',
'anticipate', 'believe', 'plan', 'estimate', 'expect' and 'intend' and
statements that an event or result 'may', 'will', 'should', 'could' or
'might' occur or be achieved and other similar expressions.
Forward-looking statements are subject to business and economic risks and
uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results of
operations to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking
statements. Forward-looking statements are based on estimates and opinions
of management at the date the statements are made. The Company does not
undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements even if
circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change.
Investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.
The laboratory-scale metallurgical test results are based on an 800 kg
sample collected from the Nama Creek Main Dyke and there is no guarantee
that the results will be reproduced at pilot and/or plant scale.
Kontakt:
Value Relations GmbH
Gartenstrasse 46
60596 Frankfurt
www.value-relations.de
Ende der Pressemitteilung
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Datum: 27.06.2011 - 17:15 Uhr
Sprache: Deutsch
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