Rare Earth unearths battery-grade lithium carbonate in Czechia

13th Dec 2016 11:05

(ShareCast News) - Battery grade lithium carbonate has been produced from Rare Earth Minerals' part-owned Cinovec lithium project in the Czech Republic. The explorer reported that more than 99.5% of pure lithium carbonate has been manufactured from mica-concentrate using a sodium sulphate roast-based flow-sheet, a simplified version of the technology currently used by lithium carbonate plants to convert spodumene concentrate to lithium carbonateAbout 87% of roast recoveries have been achieved and roasting reagent has been recycled back to the roast, which has lowered costs.The AIM-listed company conducted minimal leaching of unwanted impurities, resulting in simpler precipitation of battery grade lithium carbonate.It has also started production of lithium carbonate samples for offtake and end user testing.Rare Earth, through its interest in European Metals Holdings, holds a 20.76% stake in Cinovec, which the company claims has the largest lithium resource in Europe and one of the largest undeveloped tin resources in the world.Chief executive Kiran Morzaria said: "We are extremely pleased with the progress being made at Cinovec. The production of battery grade lithium from a well-established process route is a significant milestone in the commercialisation of the largest lithium deposit in Europe."Shares in Rare Earth Minerals were up 4.4% to 0.522p at 1122 GMT.