Piedmont Completes Bench-Scale Testwork Program To Produce Spodumene Concentrate
- Optimized flotation and magnetic separation results achieved consistent high-grade spodumene concentrates (Li2O>6.0%) with low iron content (Fe2O3<1%)
- Heavy Liquid Separation results offer opportunity for a potential Dense Medium Separation circuit prior to flotation
- Ore sorting and initial pilot scale testwork scheduled for Q3 2018
NEW YORK, July 17, 2018 -- Piedmont Lithium Ltd. (“Piedmont” or “Company”) (ASX:PLL) (NASDAQ:PLLL) is pleased to report that the Company has completed a bench-scale metallurgical testwork program to produce spodumene concentrate from ore samples from the Company’s proposed vertically-integrated Piedmont Lithium Project located in North Carolina, USA.
Piedmont has partnered with North Carolina State University’s Minerals Research Laboratory (MRL) to complete bench-scale testwork including spodumene flotation optimization, magnetic separation to remove iron from spodumene concentrate and Heavy Liquid Separation (HLS) to evaluate the potential for a Dense Medium Separation (DMS) circuit.
The completed testwork program confirms the interim flotation and magnetic separation results which the Company published in April 2018 with additional testwork on four composited samples collected from multiple exploration corridors within the Project’s core property.
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For further information, contact:
Keith D. Phillips
President & CEO
+1 973 809 0505
kphillips@piedmontlithium.com
Anastasios (Taso) Arima
Executive Director
+1 347 899 1522
tarima@piedmontlithium.com
About Piedmont Lithium
Piedmont Lithium Ltd. (ASX:PLL) (OTC-Nasdaq Intl:PLLLY) holds a 100% interest in the Piedmont Lithium Project (“Project”) located within the world-class Carolina Tin-Spodumene Belt (“TSB”) and along trend to the Hallman Beam and Kings Mountain mines, historically providing most of the western world’s lithium between the 1950s and the 1990s. The TSB has been described as one of the largest lithium provinces in the world and is located approximately 25 miles west of Charlotte, North Carolina. It is a premier location to be developing and integrated lithium business based on its favourable geology, proven metallurgy and easy access to infrastructure, power, R&D centres for lithium and battery storage, major high-tech population centres and downstream lithium processing facilities.
The Project was originally explored by Lithium Corp. of America which eventually was acquired by FMC Corporation (“FMC”). FMC and Albemarle Corporation (“Albemarle”) both historically mined the lithium bearing spodumene pegmatites within the TSB and developed and continue to operate the two world-class lithium processing facilities in the region which were the first modern spodumene processing facilities in the western world. The Company is in a unique position to leverage its position as a first mover in restarting exploration in this historic lithium producing region with the aim of developing a strategic, U.S. domestic source of lithium to supply the increasing electric vehicle and battery storage markets.
Piedmont, through its 100% owned U.S. subsidiary, Piedmont Lithium Inc., has entered into exclusive option agreements and land acquisition agreements with local landowners, which upon exercise, allow the Company to purchase (or in some cases long-term lease) approximately 1,199 acres of surface property and the associated mineral rights.
