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- Lepidico (LPD) has completed pilot scale testwork as part of the financing process for its Karibib project in Namibia
- The pilot trial reports have confirmed that Lepidico’s LOH-Max process can be used to recover battery-grade lithium hydroxide from lithium sulphate
- This was validated by third-party crystalliser vendors who completed their own testing and confirmed LOH-Max can produce a purer lithium hydroxide than the conventional sodium sulphate process
- The reports, along with the Karibib project’s latest mine schedule, are being given to independent engineer Behre Dolbear Australia to allow it to complete a technical review
- LPD shares are up 16.67 per cent to 2.1 cents at 12:49 pm AEDT
Lepidico (LPD) shares have spiked following the release of reports from pilot trials that began late last year to support potential financing for the Karibib project in Namibia.
Strategy Metallurgy completed these reports on both lithium hydroxide refining and by-product manufacture, and the trials have yielded “excellent” results.
The reports confirm that phase one design parameters and battery-grade lithium hydroxide can be recovered using Lepidico’s LOH-Max process, which it developed to produce high-purity lithium hydroxide from lithium sulphate.
A sample of crude lithium hydroxide from the pilot trial using the LOH-Max process was provided to a leading crystalliser vendor to undertake testwork using its own equipment. The vendor processed the product through dissolution, sulphate removal and recrystallisation under phase one design conditions.
The recovered crude product reportedly satisfied the battery-grade specifications for lithium hydroxide monohydrate from lithium suppliers Livent and Targray.
Importantly, the testwork showed LOH-Max could produce a “more pure” lithium hydroxide than the conventional sodium sulphate process.
“Final data from these most recent extensive pilot trials provide enormous confidence in Lepidico’s process technologies and further reduce phase one risk, as the learnings have been progressively included into the process design criteria,” Lepidico Managing Director Joe Walsh said.
The completed reports are now being given to Behre Dolbear Australia (BDA), an independent engineer appointed by International Development Finance Corporation.
Lepidico will also provide BDA with the latest mine schedule for its majority-owned Karibib project, allowing BDA to complete a technical review.
The company said this represented a “major gating item” for completing due diligence and finalising lending for the Karibib project.
LPD shares were up 16.67 per cent to 2.1 cents at 12:49 pm AEDT.
