Lithium Australia (LIT) has filed an international patent application entitled Process for extracting and recovering lithium values from lithium bearing materials under the Patent Cooperation Treaty relating to its Sileach™ process. The international patent application has been allocated application number PCT/AU2017/050104 by the PCT Receiving Office and is entitled to claim a priority date of February 9.

LIT notes that the Sileach process is “but one of the processes in its arsenal when it comes to assessing, and then matching the best process for each specific ore type, local conditions and infrastructure.” See IM, January 2017, pp54-57.

LIT invests in research and development and is co-operating with several private and public organisations, including ANSTO Minerals (a division of the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation). To date, LIT has developed its 100% owned Sileach and LieNA™ processes.

Managing Director, Adrian Griffin said: “Lithium Australia considers its strategy of controlling its own feed-source and process as essential to the protection of its business and its shareholders. The SIleach process is a critical component of this strategy.”