PLH: sulphate roast (800 C), water leach and Li salt precipitation.
LMax: atmospheric acid leach, Li salt precipitation.
The roast will have higher power requirements but lower reagent costs. Not using acid is a big plus imo. Note that processing spodumene requires roasting to a higher temp (1250 C) and then uses acid to leach Li. So yes spodumene has a higher Li content than mica but Li extraction from spodumene has greater power requirements and uses acid...both negatives.
Note also that in the historic feasibility study at San Jose the selected process route was an atmospheric acid leach. I'm not a lawyer, but this could constitute 'prior art' in a patent sense so that LPD would have no claim for royalties if PLH opted to leach.
INF Price at posting:
20.0¢ Sentiment: None Disclosure: Held
