LIT Assets and Processing Technology, page-50

@2Chance: RE"Sileach spodumene extraction 62-73%"
You conveniently ommited the key piece of information from the Ann you quoted, namely
" Elimination of mechanical and material handling interruptions to plant throughput is expected to have a significant impact on future lithium recoveries. " There will be a follow up announcement soon.

The results of the Large Scale Pilot plant design contract awarded by LIT to CPC Engineering in Dec 2016 was due to be released in April and should be out soon. LIT expects to have this plant, 2500 tpa, to test SiLeach running by the end of the year, probably using ore fro Pilgangoora. (PS it will also be adaptable to test LMax)

EMH has a huge zinnwaldite deposit at Cinovec, the biggest and best opportunity to use LMax because of both potash credits and huge tin credits, but they chose to go with roasting at a production cost of around $3400 per tonne rather than use LMax. The reason was that LMax is not yet proven at a commercial scale or even in a large-scale pilot plant.

You also don't mention another key issue. Mica ore has a much lower Li content than spodumene. You have to process about five times more mica ore than spodumene ore to get the same amount of Li2CO3.

Hdrometalurgical production of lithium chemicals from hard rock will be dominated by spodumene processes. Production from micas will run quite a way behind.