Arcadia Minerals (ASX:AM7) highlights clean, low-cost lithium extraction from Bitterwasser, Namibia

• Battery metals explorer Arcadia Minerals (AM7) flags the potential for “clean and low-cost” lithium extraction from its Bitterwasser clay project in Namibia
• The company says bench-scale leaching testwork over concentrate from Bitterwasser shows up to 82.1 per cent leachability of lithium using organic acid and 93.3 per cent leachability of lithium using sulphuric acid
• However, the organic acid indicates a “significantly” reduced recovery of contaminants such as magnesium and calcium in the leachate
• Arcadia says a trade-off study is currently underway to compare the commercial use of sulphuric and organic acids
• Shares in Arcadia Minerals close 2.33 per cent lower at 21 cents on Monday afternoon

Battery metals explorer Arcadia Minerals (AM7) has flagged the potential for “clean and low-cost” lithium extraction from its Bitterwasser clay project in Namibia.

The company on Monday said bench-scale leaching testwork over concentrate material from the Bitterwasser project showed up to 82.1 per cent leachability of lithium using organic acid and 93.3 per cent leachability of lithium using sulphuric acid.

Arcadia CEO Philip le Roux said these tests, conducted at Stellenbosch University in South Africa, confirmed the lab-scale work the company had previously completed.

“The results confirm recovery of lithium using both sulphuric and a specific organic acid,” Mr le Roux said.

Arcadia said while the organic acid showed lower leachability, it indicated a “significantly” reduced recovery of contaminants such as magnesium and calcium in the leachate.

“It is encouraging that the organic acid resulted in a low recovery of magnesium and calcium given these metals are known to be detrimental to the further refinement of lithium carbonate and the production of a battery-grade product,” Mr le Roux said.

“The results will assist us in conducting further testwork towards the possible production of a lithium carbonate product.”

Arcadia said a trade-off study was currently underway to compare the commercial use of sulphuric and organic acids, though the chemical composition of Bitterwasser clay leachate using organic acids already compared “favourably” to leachate from similar operation in the Clayton Valley of Nevada.

AM7 plans to complete a mineral resource upgrade for lithium clay from Bitterwasser before the end of June.

Shares in Arcadia Minerals closed 2.33 per cent lower at 21 cents on Monday afternoon.