General Discussion Topics, page-127268

Occasionally you come across pieces of information that explain difficult concepts in a simple to understand way.

My thanks go out to @yaschmidt.

I hope you don’t mind me sharing?

This strikes me as being very relevant to Sayona eventually becoming a processor of lithium chemicals.


“The actual calcination process is simply the introduction of high levels of energy to change spodumene from the Alpha state to the Beta state. This is usually done in a hydrocarbon-fired rotary kiln, the Calix “breakthrough” being the development of a process using electricity instead of a hydrocarbon fuel.

Once you have the Beta spodumene that has been calcinated, the end product (Phosphate, Sulfate or even Carbonate) is a matter of post-calcination treatment (reagents, temperature and mixing). Carbonation is the most expensive and difficult process of the three, sulfate being the cheapest and easiest.

I suspect that we selected Phosphate because it is still significantly cheaper and easier than Carbonate and it is a perfect precursor for the LFP that the Chinese are using for a significant fraction of their EV batteries.”