Century Lithium Corp known as Century Lithium, has announces the acquisition of a provisional patent from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, U.S. Department of Commerce. This patent, titled “System and Method for Extracting Lithium from Clay and Other Materials in a Chloride Solution Using Individualized Pretreatments,” is a milestone in safeguarding the company’s intellectual property (IP) in the realm of lithium extraction and chemistry.
The provisional patent pertains specifically to the innovative processes developed at the Lithium Extraction Facility, commonly referred to as the “Pilot Plant,” situated in Amargosa Valley, Nevada, USA, and the handling of solutions arising from the treatment of solid materials, including clays sourced from the Clayton Valley Lithium Project (the “Project”) in Nevada.
Bill Willoughby, President and CEO of Century Lithium, emphasized, “Through the outstanding efforts of Century Lithium’s dedicated team, we have engineered a proprietary lithium extraction system that sets us apart in the industry. Our system integrates breakthroughs made during extensive work at the Pilot Plant. This provisional patent provides vital protection for our system and its intellectual property as we advance in our feasibility study.”
The patent pending system employed by the company is founded on the extraction of lithium from solid materials using key components of a chlor-alkali process, namely hydrochloric acid and sodium hydroxide. The provisional patent encompasses a range of intellectual property facets, notably the method for treating lithium-bearing solids with chloride solution and the intricacies of managing solutions, precipitates, and residues. It is essential to note that this protection excludes the lithium recovery stage (Direct Lithium Extraction), a component process under the proprietary purview of Koch Technology Solutions.
The pivotal steps outlined in the provisional patent encompass:
- Conditioning of Solids Before Leaching: This stage incorporates the use of recycled process solution and sodium hydroxide, a valuable by-product of the process. Sodium hydroxide acts both as a dispersant and a chemical reactant with clay-sized particles.
- Leaching of Slurried Pulp in Hydrochloric Acid Solution: This phase involves the capture of carbon dioxide, which plays a crucial role in the subsequent precipitation of calcium and magnesium in the later stages of the process.
- Post-Leach Slurry Treatment: A method is described for effectively removing iron and aluminum from the post-leach slurry, enabling efficient pressure filtration of the solids while minimizing the need for flocculants and counter-current decantation.
- Treatment of Post-DLE Spent Solution: This step focuses on the recovery and recycling of valuable components. It provides a feedstock of sodium chloride solution to a chlor-alkali plant and recycles solution back to the conditioning step.
Century Lithium Corp. (formerly Cypress Development Corp.) is an advanced-stage lithium company with a strategic focus on advancing its 100%-owned Clayton Valley Lithium Project, situated in west-central Nevada, USA. Currently in the pilot phase of testing, Century Lithium is evaluating materials from its lithium-bearing claystone deposit at its Lithium Extraction Facility in Amargosa Valley, Nevada. The company is progressing toward completing a feasibility study and obtaining necessary permits, aiming to establish itself as a domestic producer of lithium. This endeavor aligns with the company’s vision of supplying the burgeoning electric vehicle and battery storage market with high-quality lithium products.
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