Standard Lithium Provides Update ON Its Operational Direct Lithium Extraction and Carbonate Crystallization Plants
STANDARD LITHIUM PROVIDES UPDATE ON ITS OPERATIONAL DIRECT
LITHIUM EXTRACTION AND CARBONATE CRYSTALLIZATION PLANTS
July 15 th, 2020 – Vancouver, BC – Standard Lithium Ltd. (“Standard Lithium” or the
“Company”) (TSXV: SLL) (OTCQX: STLHF) (FRA: S5L) an innovative technology and
lithium development company, is pleased to provide updates regarding its two operational pilot
plant projects. Firstly, the Company’s pre-commercial Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE)
Demonstration Plant at LANXESS’ South Plant facility in southern Arkansas has been operating
successfully since late May, and has been producing concentrated lithium chloride product, as
per its design. This first-of-its-kind pre-commercial plant, which uses Standard Lithium’s
proprietary LiSTR DLE technology, has been operating on a 24/7 basis using tail-brine feed
from the existing LANXESS facility. The plant has been undergoing a series of optimisation
exercises to improve performance and reliability of the various unit operations and improve the
quality of the final lithium solution. Additional work is also being completed at the project site
to construct the foundations required to house the integrated SiFT Pilot Plant (see below) at the
Arkansas Project Site, when international border restrictions allow. Photos of some operations
within the plant are shown below in Figures 1 & 2.
Secondly, the Company’s industrial-scale lithium carbonate SiFT crystallization pilot plant is
beginning initial lithium carbonate crystallization work. The commissioning phase of the plant
has been successfully completed; all hot and cold hydraulic and filtering systems have operated
successfully; real-time laser microscopy and crystal photoanalytical tools have been installed,
and control systems have been tested. The plant will begin initial crystallization work this week
using a lithium chloride solution that was produced last year by the Company’s Mini-Pilot DLE
Plant, that operated continuously at the SGS testing facility in Ontario (note, this lithium chloride
solution was produced from Arkansas brine). Once the lithium chloride product from the
operational DLE plant in Arkansas is optimised, it will be shipped in bulk to Richmond, BC for
final conversion in the SiFT plant. Transport of bulk volumes of polished lithium chloride
product will continue to be shipped from Arkansas to BC, until such time that border restrictions
are lifted, and it is possible to move the SiFT plant and Standard Lithium staff from BC to
Arkansas.
Dr. Andy Robinson, President and COO of Standard Lithium commented “Standard Lithium
continues to execute on our key project milestones; we have successfully started and operated
the industrial scale DLE plant in Arkansas, and now we are starting up our next-generation
lithium carbonate crystallisation plant. These achievements are a testament to the hard work
and dedication of our talented technical team and our project partners. We continue to make
significant strides towards commercial execution, and our large-scale pilot plants provide the
necessary proof-of-concept.”
Figure 1: Standard Lithium’s analytical chemist performs real-time tests on process samples in the dedicated
laboratory attached to the pre-commercial DLE Demonstration Plant in El Dorado, Arkansas, USA.
Figure 2: Standard Lithium and Saltworks chemical engineers running through system commissioning procedures at
the SiFT battery-quality lithium carbonate Pilot Plant, in Richmond, BC, Canada
About Standard Lithium Ltd.
Standard Lithium (TSXV: SLL) is an innovative technology and lithium development company.
The Company’s flagship project is located in southern Arkansas, where it is engaged in the
testing and proving of the commercial viability of lithium extraction from over 150,000 acres of
permitted brine operations. The Company has commissioned its first of a kind industrial scale
Direct Lithium Extraction Demonstration Plant at LANXESS’ South Plant facility in southern
Arkansas. The Demonstration Plant utilises the Company’s proprietary LiSTR technology to
selectively extract lithium from LANXESS’ tailbrine. The Demonstration Plant is being used for
proof of concept and commercial feasibility studies. The scaleable, environmentally friendly
process eliminates the use of evaporation ponds, reduces processing time from months to hours
and greatly increases the effective recovery of lithium. The Company is also pursuing the
resource development of over 30,000 acres of separate brine leases located in southwestern
Arkansas and approximately 45,000 acres of mineral leases located in the Mojave Desert in San
Bernardino County, California.
Standard Lithium is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the trading symbol “SLL”;
quoted on the OTC - Nasdaq Intl Designation under the symbol “STLHF”; and on the Frankfurt
Stock Exchange under the symbol “S5L”. Please visit the Company’s website at
www.standardlithium.com
On behalf of the Board of Standard Lithium Ltd.
Robert Mintak, CEO & Director
For further information, contact Anthony Alvaro at (604) 240 4793
Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX
Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release may
contain certain “Forward-Looking Statements” within the meaning of the United States Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities laws. When used in this news release, the words
“anticipate”, “believe”, “estimate”, “expect”, “target, “plan”, “forecast”, “may”, “schedule” and other similar
words or expressions identify forward-looking statements or information. These forward-looking statements or
information may relate to future prices of commodities, accuracy of mineral or resource exploration activity,
reserves or resources, regulatory or government requirements or approvals, the reliability of third party
information, continued access to mineral properties or infrastructure, fluctuations in the market for lithium and its
derivatives, changes in exploration costs and government regulation in Canada and the United States, and other
factors or information. Such statements represent the Company’s current views with respect to future events and
are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the
Company, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social risks,
contingencies and uncertainties. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause results, performance or
achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed
or implied by such forward-looking statements. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation,
to update these forward-looking statements or information to reflect changes in assumptions or changes in
circumstances or any other events affections such statements and information other than as required by applicable
laws, rules and regulations.