Lithium Australia to send samples to China

Alternative lithium products developer Lithium Australia is to send cathode powders to China for testing by battery manufacturers.

It has produced lithium iron phosphate cathode powders at a pilot test plant in Brisbane and will now produce samples for Chinese lithium-ion cell makers to confirm performance parameters. The technology may also have applications in catalyst and medical fields, the company said.

The company earlier this week said it had produced lithium solutions from mine waste through trials of its proprietary SiLeach process. The waste material was taken from the Kalgoorlie area of Western Australia, which mines gold, nickel, lithium and other minerals.

The process may also be suitable for recovering lithium from brine, which currently relies on a lengthy solar evaporation method and is subject to weather conditions, said Adrian Griffin, Lithium Australia's managing director.

Brine-sourced lithium is mainly produced in Chile and Argentina, while Australia produces lithium from hard-rock sources.