Agree, the primary reason to incorporating a biotech process into the lithium beneficiation of the clay ore body will be the ESG credentials. This will be essential in the approval of the strip mining, extraction and land reclamation of the Big Sandy project.
At this stage, I expect any new model with be a hybrid bioleaching system using both conventional acid digestion and chemolithotrophic leaching (Fe rock eater bacteria to generate H2SO4) but there is some interesting research in chemoorganotrophic leaching (combination of different species of bacteria and a fungi feedstock to generate both organic acids and H2SO4) that allow extraction at slightly high pH levels. The optimum extraction efficient of Lithium from the clay will be highly dependent on pH and the solubility of the lithium ions in the bioleaching mixture. Due to the ionic properties of lithium this will at a higher pH to than the other minerals (Na, Mg and Ca) in the same ore body.
On the cost side, the extraction process may be slightly higher, but the real saving will be in the land reclamation stage, where the bacteria will stabilize the unused sulphate compounds within the land mass using a nature environmentally safe process.
AZL Price at posting:
8.5¢ Sentiment: Buy Disclosure: Held
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