“Producing high grade battery quality lithium carbonate that exceeds industry norms bodes well for the ultimate company goal of a large scale facility in-country, states Prospect Resources chairman, Hugh Warner.
“This is a significant achievement for both Prospect Resources and Zimbabwe.
“This entire process has been designed and built in-country using local skills and services further demonstrating the business friendly environment that Zimbabwe is rapidly becoming.”
Prospect Resources has established a laboratory complex in the Kwekwe area which is now fully functional and supporting the laboratory scale and pilot scale production of lithium carbonate.
The laboratory achievements to date include:
- Recruitment and training of a team of assayers, chemists and engineers
- Developed an in-house capacity for metallurgical test work including flotation and leaching test work
- Small scale production of battery grade >99.5% product
- Full implementation of a laboratory scale lithium carbonate production process to demonstrate the amenability and viability of converting Arcadia 4%Li2O petalite concentrates into battery grade lithium carbonate
Propsect Resources expects to ramp up to full pilot production rate of over 100 kg per month of battery grade product expected during Q2, 2018.
