Frontier Lithium produces battery quality lithium hydroxide with mini-pilot plant

Frontier Lithium of Sudbury, ON, has successfully produced battery-quality lithium hydroxide monohydrate (LiOH-H2O) through a reputable third-party firm using its crystallization process technology from a purified lithium hydroxide (LiOH) solution produced by Frontier Lithium.

The lithium salts were produced from ‘ore-to-hydroxide’ sulphate conversion route by a mini-pilot plant using core samples taken from the PAK Lithium Project’s PAK deposit.

Trevor Walker, president and CEO of Frontier Lithium stated, “We continue to progress, de-risk and execute on our plan to build a fully-integrated lithium chemicals company to service the global battery and electric vehicle industry.”

He also added “We are looking to complete lithium chemicals process selection by year-end and will then commence subsequent piloting and demonstration programs necessary to deliver the feasibility of an optimized process with innovative technology necessary for building a commercial lithium chemical processing plant in North America.”

Trevor Walker of Frontier Lithium

The program results reflect Frontier’s ability to produce concentrate and lithium hydroxide from the PAK Lithium Project. The Government of Ontario is financially supporting the program of conventional direct conversion sulphate and novel sulfate-free processing of spodumene concentrates.

The test work will support the PFS study currently being conducted to assess the viability of a vertically integrated chemical company through operation of a spodumene mine and concentrator at the PAK Lithium Project to feed lithium chemicals plant operation in the Great Lakes region of North America.

The PAK Lithium Project encompasses 26,774 hectares at the south end of Ontario’s Electric Avenue, the largest land package hosting premium lithium-bearing pegmatites in Ontario. The Project covers 65 kilometres of the Electric Avenue’s length and remains largely unexplored; however, since 2013, the company has delineated two premium spodumene-bearing lithium deposits (Pak and Spark) located 2.3 kilometres from each other.