LITHIUM: Critical Elements completes pilot plant work for lithium carbonate conversion

MONTREAL – Critical Elements Corp. and Outotec have completed the pilot plant tests for converting spodumene into battery grade lithium carbonate using a thermal leaching process. Extraction rates were 88.5% and the lithium carbonate produced has a purity of 99.9%. [caption id="attachment_1003718561" align="alignleft" width="244"] One of the showings at the Rose advanced exploration lithium-tantalum property. Credit: Critical Elements Corp.[/caption] The high purity lithium carbonate had a low impurity profile with <100 ppm sodium, <200 ppm calcium, <20 ppm iron, and <5 ppm heavy metals. Critical Elements owns the Rose advanced exploration lithium-tantalum property in the James Bay region of Quebec. The Rose deposit has been subjected to 26,500 metres of drilling, and contains an indicated resource of 26.5 million tonnes containing 642,238 tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent and 9.5 million lb. of tantalum pentoxide. The inferred resource is 10.7 million tonnes containing 227,565 tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent and 3.4 million lb. of tantalum pentoxide. There are three other showings nearby. More information and a discussion of the local geology is available in the Rose preliminary economic assessment at www.CEcorp.ca.