Anson Resources generates battery quality lithium carbonate from Paradox
Anson Resources has produced a 1kg sample of 99.99% pure lithium carbonate from Paradox brine.
Anson Resources (ASX: ASN) has hit a major milestone after generating a battery quality lithium carbonate from its Paradox lithium brine project near Utah in the US.
The 99.99% pure lithium carbonate was produced during bench top test work as part of the design and engineering process for Anson’s planned in-field pilot plant.
As part of the process, Lilac Solutions’ technology was used to treat 3,500 litres of Paradox brine grading about 180 milligrams per litre of lithium.
The Lilac Solutions’ lithium concentrate was then purified using conventional chemical treatments and produced a 1kg sample that meets all the strict impurity specifications for its prospective customer.
Anson will incorporate what it has learned during this stage into the flow sheet and final designs for production of further samples for more prospective customers to test.
Paradox lithium brine project
Anson’s Paradox project includes more than 1,317 claims covering 108 square kilometres in Utah, where high lithium concentrations have been identified in brines since the 1960s.
The company is looking to build a 100 tonne per annum lithium carbonate plant on-site with commissioning targeted for the third quarter of 2020.
Exploration has been undertaken at Skyline, Cane Creek and Long Canyon # 2 wells with all three yielding lithium.
Long Canyon #2 had the highest lithium concentration with assays returning 253mg/l lithium, 2,282mg/l bromine, 360mg/l boron and 138mg/l iodine.
In addition to unlocking the lithium value at Paradox, Anson is also investigating the viability of producing bromine and boron.
Data from drilling at Paradox is expected to underpin a JORC resource which is due for release before the end of the current quarter.
To pursue its ambitions, Anson secured a $15 million equity facility in late May with Long State Investment.
Under the facility’s terms, Anson can call for Long State to subscribe for shares at any time over the next 24 months, with the total value amounting to $15 million.
By midday, Anson’s share price had rocketed 52% to sit at $0.073.