Rock Tech Engages ALS for Pilot Plant Programs

2021-02-16 / @thenewswire

(TheNewswire)

Vancouver, BC, Canada – TheNewswire - February 16, 2021 – Rock Tech Lithium Inc. (the "Company" or “Rock Tech”) (TSXV:RCK); (Frankfurt:RJIB) is pleased to announce that it has engaged ALS Metallurgy (“ALS”) to conduct pilot scale test programs, under supervision from Wave International (“Wave”).

To confirm its lithium hydroxide flowsheet and process engineering parameters, in support of engineering development, a series of pilot scale tests will be completed for both the industry standard sulphate process and Rock Tech’s innovative and patent-pending Nitrate Process.

ALS have been awarded the first stage of the pilot program, which is based on a traditional sulphation route process flowsheet provided by Wave. The feed source for this stage one pilot will be lithium sulphate (from various sources), demonstrating the robustness of the proposed plant to receive intermediary lithium products (other than spodumene concentrate).

The pilot program was commenced last week at ALS’ facilities in Perth, Western Australia, under supervision and management by Wave. The program will not only validate the commercial scale flowsheet as outlined above but will also provide a first round of Battery Grade Lithium Hydroxide Monohydrate sample material for ongoing offtake discussions.

ALS is a leading testing, inspection, certification and verification company headquartered in Brisbane, Australia, that has built its reputation around technical innovation, quality, a deep client understanding, and by being a true technical services partner to many companies across a broad spectrum of end markets covering most geographies. ALS provides vital process flowsheet operating data for engineering design, scale-up purposes, process plant upgrade and production of marketing samples. Further, ALS have previously completed various Lithium Hydroxide testwork programs.

Future pilot plant stages will include a second round pilot for the traditional route (producing lithium hydroxide from spodumene concentrates), and a further pilot of the innovate patent-pending Nitrate Process. The future stages will include spodumene feed from the Company’s 100%-owned Georgia Lake lithium project in Ontario, Canada, in addition to feed secured from existing and emerging producers.

“We are planning a lithium hydroxide converter with a capacity of 24,000 tonnes per annum so we will rely, to a certain extent, on additional sources to complement our Georgia Lake feed,” said Dirk Harbecke, Rock Tech’s chairman. “As such, understanding the behaviour of a variety of different feed sources will be invaluable for optimizing process design. Importantly, the pilot programs will provide lithium hydroxide samples which are invaluable for customer qualification as offtake discussions intensify.”

Additionally, the Company announces that it has granted 1,480,000 stock options to directors, officers, employees and consultants of the Company. The stock options have an exercise price of $4.21 per share and will expire on February 16, 2023.

On behalf of the Board of Directors,

"Dirk Harbecke"
Dirk Harbecke
Chairman

For further information, please contact:

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 its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Statements included in this announcement, including statements concerning our plans, intentions and expectations, which are not historical in nature are intended to be, and are hereby identified as, "forward‐looking statements". Forward‐looking statements may be identified by words including "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "expects" and similar expressions. The Company cautions readers that forward‐looking statements, including without limitation those relating to the Company's future operations and business prospects, are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in the forward‐looking statements.