Standard Lithium Successfully Commissions First Commercial-Scale
DLE Column in North America
Commercial-Scale DLE Column Now Commissioned and
Operational at SLI’s Demonstration Plant in Arkansas Utilizing Koch
Technology Solutions Li-Pro LSS Unit
EL DORADO, Ark., April 24, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE)
-- Standard Lithium Ltd. (“Standard Lithium” or
the “Company”) (TSXV:SLI) (NYSE American:SLI) (FRA:S5L), a leading
near-commercial lithium development company, is pleased to announce
that it has successfully commissioned and validated the performance
of the largest continuously-operating Direct Lithium Extraction
(“DLE”) equipment in North America. The Company recently installed
a commercial-scale DLE column at its Demonstration Plant near El
Dorado, Arkansas. The column is a Li-ProTM Lithium
Selective Sorption (“LSS”) unit, supplied by Koch Technology
Solutions, LLC (“KTS”).
The column was installed and integrated into the
Company’s existing Demonstration Plant, and is currently extracting
lithium from Smackover Formation brine at an input flow rate of 90
gallons per minute (“gpm”; or 20.4 m3/hr). This is, to
the best of the Company’s knowledge, both the largest DLE
installation, and the only example of a commercial-scale DLE column
in operation in North America. Since commissioning, the column has
operated continuously and exceeded the design parameters for
lithium recovery and rejection of impurities. Key technical
highlights of the commercial-scale DLE column are provided
below:
Key Findings:
- Lithium Recovery Efficiency: During
a representative two-week period of performance in April 2024, the
Li-ProTM LSS (DLE) process achieved an average lithium
recovery (i.e. after loading and elution) of 97.3% from the 90 gpm
incoming brine flow (the average incoming brine contained
208 mg/L lithium during the same period).
- Element Rejection Rate: During the
same period, the DLE process rejected, on average, over 99% of the
key contaminants sodium, calcium, magnesium and potassium from the
brine (i.e. less than 1% of those contaminants made it through the
DLE step into the first lithium chloride solution); and over 95% of
boron was rejected.
- This high degree of contaminant
rejection after DLE results in a substantially purified lithium
chloride solution (the eluate). This eluate can then be further
refined and concentrated using tested and proven steps to make it
ready for conversion to either lithium carbonate or lithium
hydroxide. These additional process steps have been successfully
demonstrated for several years at the Company’s Demonstration
Plant. In simple terms, when the DLE step rejects a higher
percentage of impurities, the final lithium chloride solution,
which is converted to battery-quality products, can be produced
more efficiently.
- Operational Cycles: The most recent
full-size commercial scale Li-ProTM LSS column has
completed over 86 operational cycles, and the Li-ProTM
LSS technology has completed over 8,500 operational cycles at the
Demonstration Plant.
- Brine Processed: As of the end of
March 2024, the Demonstration Plant had processed 17,039,825
gallons (64,495,738 litres) of Smackover brine, produced directly
from the formation and reinjected continuously back into the same
formation.
- Lithium Chloride: Since May 2020,
the Demonstration Plant has produced many millions of gallons of
‘raw’ lithium chloride eluate from several generations of DLE
technology development. Almost all of the ‘raw’ lithium chloride
has been returned to the formation through LANXESS’ existing tail
brine reinjection infrastructure. Additionally, over the last 4
years, approximately 330,000 gallons (1.25 million litres) of
concentrated and/or purified lithium chloride solution have been
produced for further process testing or for conversion into
battery-quality lithium carbonate or hydroxide.
The performance of this commercial-scale DLE
column is being used to validate the design assumptions for the
Phase 1A Project and also underpins the process design work
underway for the South West Arkansas (“SWA”) Project (see Press
Release dated 24 January 2024).
Standard Lithium’s Director, President &
COO, Dr. Andy Robinson commented: “Importantly, the column
currently operating at SLI’s Demonstration Plant is identical to
those that will be used in the commercial application, both in
terms of the size, design and construction of the column, as well
as the sorbent media being used inside. As such, this important
collaboration between SLI and KTS at our Demonstration Plant is the
first example in North America of DLE technology being deployed
successfully using commercial-scale equipment. Validation of
performance and successful operation of this column is a
significant derisking step on our way to becoming the next major
sustainable lithium producer in North America.”
Figure 1 – Upper and lower views of the
Commercial-scale DLE column in operation at Standard Lithium’s
Demonstration Plant near El Dorado, Arkansas.
Figure 2 – Engineering design of commercial column
configuration – SLI’s commercial facilities will use the same
commercial-scale column, as currently being operated by SLI, in a
four pack configuration; the commercial plants are expected to have
multiple four packs.
About Standard Lithium Ltd.
Standard Lithium is a leading near-commercial
lithium development company focused on the sustainable development
of a portfolio of lithium-brine bearing properties in the United
States. The Company prioritizes brine projects characterized by
high-grade resources, robust infrastructure, skilled labor, and
streamlined permitting. The Company aims to achieve sustainable,
commercial-scale lithium production via the application of a
scalable and fully-integrated Direct Lithium Extraction (“DLE”) and
purification process. The Company’s signature projects, the Phase
1A Project and the South West Arkansas Project, are located on the
Smackover Formation in southern Arkansas, a region with a
longstanding and established brine processing industry. The Company
has also identified a number of highly prospective lithium brine
project areas in the Smackover Formation in East Texas and is
conducting an extensive brine leasing program in the key project
areas. In addition, the Company has an interest in certain mineral
leases located in the Mojave Desert in San Bernardino County,
California.
Standard Lithium trades on both the TSX Venture
Exchange and the NYSE American under the symbol “SLI”; and on the
Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the symbol “S5L”. Please visit the
Company’s website at www.standardlithium.com.
About Koch Technology
Solutions
KTS is the technology licensing business of KES.
KTS creates value for its customers across a growing portfolio of
technologies including direct lithium extraction, the polyester
value chain, and 1,4-Butananediol plus its derivates. KTS combines
its exclusive technologies, expertise, and capabilities with those
of other KES companies to provide overall solutions to optimize
customer’s capital investments and existing manufacturing
assets.
Qualified Person
Marek Dworzanowski, EUR ING, CEng, HonFSAIMM,
FIMMM, a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101,
and a Consulting Metallurgical Engineer who is independent of the
Company, has reviewed and approved the relevant scientific and
technical information in this news release.
Twitter: @standardlithium
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/standard-lithium/
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its
Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies
of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the
adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release may contain
certain “Forward-Looking Statements” within the meaning of the
United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and
applicable Canadian securities laws. When used in this news
release, the words “anticipate”, “believe”, “estimate”, “expect”,
“target, “plan”, “forecast”, “may”, “schedule” and other similar
words or expressions identify forward-looking statements or
information. These forward-looking statements or information may
relate to intended development timelines, future prices of
commodities, accuracy of mineral or resource exploration activity,
reserves or resources, regulatory or government requirements or
approvals, the reliability of third party information, continued
access to mineral properties or infrastructure, fluctuations in the
market for lithium and its derivatives, changes in exploration
costs and government regulation in Canada and the United States,
and other factors or information. Such statements represent the
Company’s current views with respect to future events and are
necessarily based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that,
while considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently subject
to significant business, economic, competitive, political and
social risks, contingencies and uncertainties. Many factors, both
known and unknown, could cause results, performance or achievements
to be materially different from the results, performance or
achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such
forward-looking statements. The Company does not intend, and does
not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking
statements or information to reflect changes in assumptions or
changes in circumstances or any other events affecting such
statements and information other than as required by applicable
laws, rules and regulations.
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