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IRIS Metals Ltd (ASX:IR1) has completed metallurgical test work on spodumen-bearing pegmatites from its Beecher project in South Dakota, revealing that a high-purity spodumene concentrate grading more than 6.0% in lithium oxide (Li2O) can be produced.
Lithium recovery in general was more than 82% during the testing process, with the spodumene concentrate coming in at 6.1% Li2O.
Purity levels were also notable: with samples yielding as low as 0.25% Fe2O3, a figure significantly less than the industry specifications for concentrate of <1.3% Fe2O3.
The next steps for the project include bulk sample processing with Dense Media Separation (DMS) and efforts to refine Beecher’s spodumene concentrate further into lithium carbonate.
President of US operations Matt Hartmann said the results had been very exciting for the company.
“IRIS has now demonstrated the ability to develop a high purity spodumene concentrate, confirming the processing viability of our South Dakota deposits that host some of the largest spodumene crystals in the world,” he said.
“The South Dakota team is quickly moving to further refine our process flow sheet and complete process test work on additional spodumene bearing pegmatites, with the potential of a near-term bulk sampling effort.
“IRIS is advancing efforts on several fronts as we continue to unlock value across our substantial holdings in South Dakota.”
IRIS has been trading at 19.5 cents.
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