By Gary Thomas
Nemaska Lithium has announced that two US patents have been filed for its unique process to manufacture lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide. The company filed the US patent 61/636,869 on 23 April, 2012 to protect its method of preparing high-purity lithium sulphate and lithium hydroxide at low cost.
The company filed US patent application 61/653,035 on 30 May, 2012 for protecting its methods in order to produce lithium carbonate from lithium hydroxide. The company’s proprietary process is an eco-friendly approach to produce high-purity lithium carbonate.
Guy Bourassa, Nemaska Lithium’s CEO and President stated that electrolysis can be used in the production process of lithium hydroxide and this process eliminates the utilization of soda ash in large quantities. The cost of soda ash is changing and has increased significantly over the last few years. The company is in a position to sign long-term electricity agreement in Quebec and the contract will minimize the overall costs and enhance margins over a definite period. Electricity available in Quebec allows for a second-value added transformation method, according to Bourassa.
Nemaska will become a global leader to produce low cost lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide, through these promising protected technologies. According to a recent study, the production of lithium hydroxide may become twice every five years for the subsequent 15 years. The company has planned to manufacture lithium hydroxide by 2014.
Source: http://www.nemaskalithium.com/en/