Avalon Rare Metals Commences Pilot Plant Program at Separation Rapids Lithium Project

Avalon Rare Metals (TSX:AVL) has started a $750,000 pilot plant program at its Separation Rapids lithium project near Kenora Ontario. The program is anticipated to be completed over the next 6 to 8 months.
As quoted in the press release:

The 2015 pilot plant program will provide a trial of the new lithium minerals process flow sheet developed at the bench scale over the past year under the direction of SVP, Metallurgy and Technology Development, David Marsh. A total of 30 tonnes of crushed ore will be shipped to a laboratory in Germany for processing to produce a minimum of 1 tonne of pure lithium mineral (petalite) concentrate.
This petalite concentrate will be used for two purposes: 1) to provide product samples to potential customers in the glass—ceramics industry who have expressed interest in evaluating these samples and 2) to provide concentrate for additional process development toward producing a high purity lithium chemical product for use by customers in the lithium ion rechargeable battery manufacturing business. The lithium chemicals work will be done at the laboratories of the Saskatchewan Research Council (“SRC”) in Saskatoon.

Click here for the full press release.