Fly ash-grade aluminosilicates surface in lithium processing

Toronto-based Rock Tech Lithium Inc. cites the potential to extract a supplementary cementitious material from leached spodumene concentrate (LSC), a byproduct of its lithium hydroxide processing whose typical chemical composition is primarily aluminosilicates (65 percent SiO2, 25 percent Al2O3). With an eye to electric battery markets, Rock Tech plans to commercialize the lithium hydroxide process through construction of converter facilities in its home base of Ontario plus Brandenburg, Germany. The premier converter in Germany is planned at 24,000 tonnes/year capacity, equal to the lithium hydroxide requirements of 500,000 batteries.

“The use of industrial residues from lithium production in cements and concretes significantly contributes to the conservation of valuable natural resources. Through innovative material use, we make an important contribution to achieving our sustainability goals. By integrating these residues, we can not only reduce environmental impact but also decrease carbon dioxide emissions,” says Thomas Neumann, head of Research and Development at Schwenk Zement GmbH, a key player in cement and concrete producer in Germany.

Schwenk, Rock Tech and the Institute for Technologies and Economics of Lithium (ITEL) supported a study conducted within a Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg Mineralogy and Geochemistry research group. Results were reported earlier this year in “Properties of low sulfur leached spodumene as supplementary cementitious material in ordinary portland cement.” The paper was published in the Elsevier Construction and Building Materials journal, while study results were published by the German Lithium Institute.

“The phase-out of coal and the transformation of the steel industry will sooner or later lead to changed or disappearing material streams that have been significant for the cement industry in terms of carbon dioxide savings and product portfolio. The LSC from lithium production has the potential to compensate for these depleting material streams in the future,” notes ITEL’s Dr. Andreas Neumann, research group member and “Properties” paper co-author.