The sample (several grams) was produced using composited core material (~30 kg) from drill hole BC2001C, collected from the interval of approximately 90 to 380 ft depth (core length). The material, with a head assay of approximately 1,000 ppm Li, was fed through a calcination and water-leach step, which prevents Fe and other deleterious elements from entering solution, allowing for a simple and straightforward downstream purification circuit to be applicable. The solution was processed through an ‘off-the-shelf’ commercial purification circuit through to the precipitation of a crude lithium carbonate product, which was then dissolved and recrystallized to produce a marketable 99.9% pure Li2CO3 product (Figure 1).
The metallurgical program at Bonnie Claire is ongoing with additional material to be received shortly from the recent coring program. In follow-up test work, the Company intends to further evaluate processing to a lithium hydroxide product as well as demonstrate the recovery of potential byproducts (e.g., boron, potassium). The metallurgical program has been designed to support a Prefeasibility Study on the Project.
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