GreenLight Achieves Initial Success with Testing of Silchlor Chlorination Process to Extract Lithium, Rare Metals & Industrial Minerals
04.10.2011 | Marketwired
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwire - Oct. 4, 2011) - GREENLIGHT RESOURCES INC. (TSX VENTURE: GR) (OTCBB: PRZCF) (FRANKFURT: PH0) is pleased to announce that tests have been completed to confirm the validity of the Silchlor chlorination process in extracting economic minerals from the Company's Brazil Lake lithium concentrate material. The patented Silchlor Cyclic Vacuum Chlorination Process technology assessment report verifying the process was completed by an independent qualified person. GreenLight retained Dr. Ian Flint of Halifax, NS to independently confirm if this technology could be applied to the extraction of economic minerals from the Brazil Lake Lithium and rare metals project.
Confirmation tests were successfully conducted for the digestion of the lithium pyroxene concentrate from the Brazil Lake deposit. The iron, aluminum and lithium chloride products where produced under the test conditions claimed by Silchlor. These products can be converted to oxides or carbonates if required by known chemical processes. The process also shows promise for the purification of tantalum, niobium and rubidium. The next stage of development will be the modification of the vessel design to allow the testing of larger samples in preparation for pilot plant work.
Dr. Ian Flint managed the assembly of a small scale reactor as well as supervised its testing and evaluation. The purpose of this series of tests was to independently confirm the results that Silchlor, the originator of the technology, achieved on the Brazil Lake deposit material, and to process a larger sample of material so that the quality of the products can be assessed.
The process involves chlorination at multiple increasing temperatures including a vacuum stage to volatize certain chlorides. Chloride vapors of Si, Al, Fe, Li, Rb, Na and K are produced using this method. The off-gases of the process are then cooled to precipitate various chlorides with the final stage being the production of SiCl4 by passing the gases through water.
The Silchlor carbon-chlorination system has shown good initial success from prior tests which indicated that a significant amount of the lithium was removed, along with the aluminum, iron, and manganese. The significant decrease in the residual products indicates that a large percentage of the spodumene was chlorinated along with other metals. The objectives of the Company's bench testing of the Silchlor Cyclic Vacuum Process include:
- Demonstrate similar or lower cost profiles as the solar brine process used to extract Lithium from salt pans in South America and Nevada.
- Replace conventional hydrometallurgical processes which are expensive and environmentally unfriendly.
- Minimize waste product.
- Reduction in impurities in the initial Lithium Chloride product which could allow for less complicated procedures to produce high purity products with increased values.
- Recovery of additional marketable products in the Spodumene, in particular Rubidium as well as aluminum chloride and silica tetrachloride.
Dr. Ian Flint P.Eng., a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101 is responsible for the technical information contained in this release.
On Behalf of the board of directors
Christopher R. Anderson
CEO – President
To view accompanying photo, visit the following link:
http://www.marketwire.com/library/20111004-TestLabPhoto.jpg
Read about GreenLight Resources Inc.: http://greenlightresources.com/corporate-overview/
Read Disclaimer: http://greenlightresources.com/legal-disclaimer/
Facebook: http://facebook.com/GreenLightResources
Twitter: @GreenLightRes
Myspace: http://myspace.com/518719311
Confirmation tests were successfully conducted for the digestion of the lithium pyroxene concentrate from the Brazil Lake deposit. The iron, aluminum and lithium chloride products where produced under the test conditions claimed by Silchlor. These products can be converted to oxides or carbonates if required by known chemical processes. The process also shows promise for the purification of tantalum, niobium and rubidium. The next stage of development will be the modification of the vessel design to allow the testing of larger samples in preparation for pilot plant work.
Dr. Ian Flint managed the assembly of a small scale reactor as well as supervised its testing and evaluation. The purpose of this series of tests was to independently confirm the results that Silchlor, the originator of the technology, achieved on the Brazil Lake deposit material, and to process a larger sample of material so that the quality of the products can be assessed.
The process involves chlorination at multiple increasing temperatures including a vacuum stage to volatize certain chlorides. Chloride vapors of Si, Al, Fe, Li, Rb, Na and K are produced using this method. The off-gases of the process are then cooled to precipitate various chlorides with the final stage being the production of SiCl4 by passing the gases through water.
The Silchlor carbon-chlorination system has shown good initial success from prior tests which indicated that a significant amount of the lithium was removed, along with the aluminum, iron, and manganese. The significant decrease in the residual products indicates that a large percentage of the spodumene was chlorinated along with other metals. The objectives of the Company's bench testing of the Silchlor Cyclic Vacuum Process include:
- Demonstrate similar or lower cost profiles as the solar brine process used to extract Lithium from salt pans in South America and Nevada.
- Replace conventional hydrometallurgical processes which are expensive and environmentally unfriendly.
- Minimize waste product.
- Reduction in impurities in the initial Lithium Chloride product which could allow for less complicated procedures to produce high purity products with increased values.
- Recovery of additional marketable products in the Spodumene, in particular Rubidium as well as aluminum chloride and silica tetrachloride.
Dr. Ian Flint P.Eng., a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101 is responsible for the technical information contained in this release.
On Behalf of the board of directors
Christopher R. Anderson
CEO – President
To view accompanying photo, visit the following link:
http://www.marketwire.com/library/20111004-TestLabPhoto.jpg
Read about GreenLight Resources Inc.: http://greenlightresources.com/corporate-overview/
Read Disclaimer: http://greenlightresources.com/legal-disclaimer/
Facebook: http://facebook.com/GreenLightResources
Twitter: @GreenLightRes
Myspace: http://myspace.com/518719311