Yes, we’ve talked about the qualification process on this forum before, including much info and commentary from those in the know.
Iirc there are typically several stages, involving kg of product (chemical spec), then 100’s of kg
(component testing) and then multiple tonnes (cell testing).
Typically a circa 6-12 month process, iirc, depending on several factors.
Btw here’s a comment from ORE with regard to their initial product after their commercial plant commissioning back in 2014:
“a qualification process which for some customers commenced nearly 4 years ago during the Feasibility Study when the first samples from the pilot plant were supplied to prospective customers”
Armchair experts here adamant that our pilot plant product testing “went nowhere” or some crap to that effect. lol.
The fact is they (we) do not know.
….and some comments from Matt Fernley about product fungibility:
“As a result of this though, material from one lithium project is in no way directly fungible with material from another.
Most cathode producers will use lithium from two to three suppliers to ensure that there are no supply issues if one of those suppliers goes down, but it won't be easy for them to bring a totally new supplier into the process if they have a different product specification (it could take months or years.
This is something that analysts looking into the sector often get wrong. They mistake lithium and other battery materials for interchangeable commodities. They are most definitely not. They are entirely specialty products.”
Armchair experts here carrying on about “a commodity product” LMFAO
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