(TheNewswire)
Vancouver, BC, Canada - TheNewswire - September 22, 2020 - Rock Tech Lithium Inc. (the"Company" or "Rock Tech") (TSXV:RCK ) ( Frankfurt:RJIB) (OTC: RCKTF ) is pleased to announce the results from its recentlycompleted metallurgical program on the Company's 100%-owned GeorgiaLake lithium project in Ontario, Canada.
Highlights from the program include:
-
- 60% of the spodumene can be recovered using gravitationaltechniques,
- Over 80% flotation recovery achieved on low-grade ore, exceeding PEAassumptions,
- Potential to reduce the project's CapEx and OpEx.
The Company engaged Wave International ("Wave") to assist indeveloping the metallurgical program that will facilitate a clearpathway to upcoming feasibility work.
Improved SampleRepresentativity
Samples for the gravity testwork were composited from a representativecore selection across the project's Main Zone which will provide mostof the plant feed in the first years of production.
A visual core inspection was carried out and two domains were defined:the more slowly cooled coarse-grained centre of the pegmatite,referred to as 'coarse' and the more quickly chilled fine-grainedmargin of the pegmatite, referred to as 'transition'. The 'coarse' orefraction represents around 60% of the Main Zone North orebody and the'transition' zone the remaining 40%. The testwork program was carriedout separately for both domains and the results combined according totheir weighting.
Gravitational Testwork
Under the supervision of Wave, Nagrom, a laboratory based inKelmscott, Western Australia, conducted Heavy Liquid Separation("HLS") bench-scale testwork to determine the viability of apotential Dense Media Separation ("DMS") processing routefor Georgia Lake. The primary objective of this testwork was to studythe potential for reducing the size of any necessary flotation circuitand associated capital and operating expenses as laid out in the PEA.
The program produced a 6.0% Li 2 O spodumeneconcentrate at 60.9% recovery which compares favorably to otherlithium projects relying exclusively on gravitational processing.
"Many operating spodumene mines achieve substantially lowerrecoveries with their DMS circuits in comparison to what our testresults have shown. Since gravity separation is much less CapEx- andOpEx-intensive, we see cost savings potential," said SimonBodensteiner, Rock Tech's Chief Executive Officer.
Flotation Testwork
In addition to the gravitational testwork, Rock Tech engaged SGSCanada Inc. ("SGS") to carry out flotation tests on alow-grade sample with 0.88% Li 2 O to confirm thesuitability of the flotation flowsheet used in the PEA at feed gradesbelow the current undiluted resource estimate.
The tests produced marketable grade spodumene concentrates above 5.9%Li 2 O whilst constantly achieving recoveries inexcess of 80% (PEA: 78%).
"This confirms that the flotation flowsheet produces marketableconcentrates even at feed grades below the average resource grade. Itwas not the objective of the program to match the PEA's concentrategrade (6.2% Li 2 O) but to rather maximizeresource recovery, generating more feed for an integrated downstreamlithium hydroxide operation. We will continue further tests andoptimizations related to future feasibility work and will assess thepotential of eliminating the complete flotation circuit through anultra-fines DMS process," said Simon Bodensteiner.
About Wave International
Wave International is a resource development consultancy with nearly20 years of global experience in engineering, project delivery,project management and asset management - providing project strategiesand solutions in the battery minerals sector for more than a decade.Wave and its key personnel have delivered upstream and downstreamprojects from resource definition through study, design,commissioning, delivery, ramp up and operations.
About Nagrom
Located in Kelmscott Western Australia, Nagrom's treatment plantoffers extensive capabilities in all aspects of mineral separation andconcentrates preparation. Nagrom's team of dedicated employees has thecapability to handle contract mineral processing as well as bothsmall- and large-scale metallurgical test programs and they are theideal partner from project start up to an established miningoperation.
About SGS Canada Inc.
With over 70 years of experience and a truly global presence, SGS hasearned a reputation as the leading supplier of proven, technologicallyadvanced metallurgical services. SGS provides optimal, environmentallysustainable flowsheets and has demonstrated success in metallurgicaland process design providing the processing industry with innovativeapproaches to geometallurgy, process modeling, production forecastingand advanced control systems.
The technical content of this news release has been reviewed andapproved by Mr. Alexander Pleson, who is a member of the Associationof Professional Geoscientists Ontario and is a Qualified Person asdefined by National Instrument 43-101, Standards of Disclosure forMineral Projects.
On behalf of the Board of Directors,
"SimonBodensteiner"
Simon Bodensteiner
Director, Chief Executive Officer
For further information, pleasecontact:
Brad Barnett
Chief Financial Officer
Rock Tech Lithium Inc.
777 Hornby Street, Suite 600
Vancouver, B.C., V6Z 1S4
Telephone: (778) 358-5200
Facsimile: (604) 670-0033
Email: bbarnett@rocktechlithium.com
Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor itsRegulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policiesof the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacyor accuracy of this release.
Statements included in thisannouncement, including statements concerning our plans, intentionsand expectations, which are not historical in nature are intended tobe, and are hereby identified as, "forward - lookingstatements". Forward - looking statements may beidentified by words including "anticipates","believes", "intends", "estimates","expects" and similar expressions. The Company cautionsreaders that forward - looking statements, including withoutlimitation those relating to the Company's future operations andbusiness prospects, are subject to certain risks and uncertaintiesthat could cause actual results to differ materially from thoseindicated in the forward - looking statements.
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