![\"\"](\"https:\/\/northamericanmining.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/frontierlithium.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\n\n<\/p>\n\n\n
Frontier Lithium has successfully wrapped its pilot-scale mineral processing plant programme in Ontario, Canada, to produce 500 kilograms of spodumene concentrate for use in the piloting of a hydrometallurgical conversion process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Sudbury, Canada-headquartered company said it used a blended material from the Spark and PAC deposits, 89% and 11% respectively, at a combined sample weight of 7,800 kilograms. Spark\u2019s material was fine-grained, so it required desliming as well as magnetic separation and gravity concentration before the flotation phase. The two averages lithium oxide of 1.57% and iron oxide of 0.8%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The northern Ontario pilot plant campaign\u2019s total operating time was 81 hours, and that included a continuous run of 31.5 hours, Frontier officials confirmed. In all, 930 kg of concentrate was produced at an average grade of 6.0% Li2<\/sub>O; the grade of concentrate produced on a per shift basis ranged from 6.4% to 5.6% Li2<\/sub>O and a bulk sample of 640 kg was prepared at a grade of 6.13% Li2<\/sub>O and 0.76% Fe2<\/sub>O3<\/sub> was prepared. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe survey collected during the final operating shift, FPP-08, produced a similar concentrate as the bulk sample at 6.07% Li2<\/sub>O and achieved a lithium recovery of 76%,\u201d the company said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis compares well with the recovery achieved from the bench-scale locked cycle test announced on January 11\u2026of 78%. \u201c<\/p>\n\n\n\n Naizhen Cao, Vice President of Technology for Frontier Lithium, said the company was satisfied with the results of the campaign, as they compared favorably to lithium industry specifications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe piloting program has generated data required to support the company\u2019s advancing feasibility studies. The pilot also produced representative concentrates required for lithium chemicals processing for battery-grade lithium hydroxide production,\u201d he said.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe see the opportunity to improve lithium grade, recovery, and reduce iron content by further optimizing conditions and the flowsheet.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n The PAK lithium project, which Frontier Lithium holds, contains one of North America’s highest-grade, large-tonnage hard-rock lithium resources in the form of a rare low-iron spodumene. A tier one lithium resource, it is one of the global top three premium resources by quality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n