Nemaska Lithium Inc. (TSXV:NMX) is pleased to announce that it has submitted two patent applications involving its unique lithium hydroxide and carbonate U.S. provisional patent application for lithium production process. On April 23, 2012, the company submitted U.S. patent application 61/636,869, aiming to protect a low-cost process for preparing high-purity lithium hydroxide and lithium sulfate in an environmentally friendly manner. Subsequently, on May 30, the company submitted US patent application 61/653,035 to protect the process of preparing lithium carbonate from lithium hydroxide. This proprietary method uses an environmentally friendly way to produce high-yield, high-purity lithium carbonate while keeping production costs to a minimum.
“Our lithium hydroxide production process uses electrolysis methods, abandoning the traditional process of using large amounts of soda ash,” said the company’s president and chief executive officer Executive Officer Guy Bourassa commented, “The price of soda ash has always been volatile and unpredictable, and has increased significantly over the past few years. To avoid this raw material input and opt for the electrolysis method, we have signed long-term power contracts in Quebec, This will reduce overall costs while increasing profit margins. The availability of electricity in Quebec involves secondary value-added transformation, which will maximize the creation of price value for company shareholders and the Quebec community.”
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These promising protected technologies will help the Company become a world leader in the low-cost production of lithium hydroxide and lithium carbonate. Companies view these intellectual property rights as a key competitive advantage. The company and its patent attorneys are considering filing additional patent applications.
Lithium hydroxide market
A latest market research study commissioned by Nemasca shows that the market size of lithium hydroxide is expected to double every five years in the next 15 years. . There are currently four companies producing lithium hydroxide to meet market demand, but their production capacity is limited and unable to meet the expected growth in market demand. Nemasca plans to put lithium hydroxide into production before 2014 to meet the expected growth in demand for lithium hydroxide in time. In addition, lithium hydroxide now sells at a premium of at least 25% to lithium carbonate.
About Nemasca
Nemaska is a mineral exploration and development company currently developing the Whabouchi lithium deposit in the James Bay region of Quebec, Canada. Nemasca also develops innovative process technologies to convert lithium minerals into value-added lithium hydroxide and lithium carbonate. Nemaskar also owns 100% of the Sirmac lithium project, which is located 125 kilometers south of the Whabouchi lithium deposit. Both projects are accessible year-round from Chibugamo via Route du Nord. The Whabouchi lithium deposit is located near the Cree community of Nemiscau and Nemiscau Airport. Nemasca is also a significant shareholder in Monarques Resources Inc. (TSX Venture Exchange: MQR).
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Lithium carbonate (molecular structure formula Li2CO3, English lithium carbonate) is a colorless monoclinic crystal or white powder. Density 2.11. Melting point 618℃. Non-deliquescent and stable in air. The solubility in water is very small, and the solubility decreases with the increase of temperature. The solubility in cold water is greater than that in hot water. Soluble in dilute acid, insoluble in ethanol and acetone. When carbon dioxide is passed into the aqueous suspension of lithium carbonate, the lithium carbonate is converted into acid lithium carbonate and dissolved. If the solution of acid lithium carbonate is heated again, carbon dioxide is released and lithium carbonate is precipitated. This property of lithium carbonate can be used to remove impurities from it. Because lithium ions are highly polarizable, the thermal stability of lithium carbonate is worse than that of other alkali metal carbonates. When heated above the melting point, it will decompose to produce lithium oxide and carbon dioxide.
The lithium carbonate industry is a highly monopolized industry in the world. Currently, production capacity is mainly concentrated in the hands of three foreign manufacturers, including SQM, FMC, and Chemetall.
Lithium carbonate is used industrially to make other lithium salts, such as lithium chloride and lithium bromide. It is also used as a raw material for lithium oxide in enamel, glass, ceramics and enamels, and is also added to electrolytic cells for electrolytic aluminum production to increase current efficiency and reduce the internal resistance and bath temperature of electrolytic cells. It is mainly used in medicine to treat mania and can improve the affective disorder of schizophrenia. It has the effect of increasing peripheral leukocytes.
The above information was edited and compiled by Wang Xiaonan of ChemicalBook. 2012-06-12
