Standard Lithium Successfully Commissions First Commercial-Scale DLE Column in North America Commercial-Scale DLE Column Now Commissioned and Operational at SLI’s Demonstration Plant in Arkansas Utilizing Koch Technology Solutions Li-Pro LSS Unit
Standard Lithium Successfully Commissions First Commercial-Scale DLE
Column in North America
Commercial-Scale DLE Column Now Commissioned and Operational at SLI’s Demonstration Plant in Arkansas
Utilizing Koch Technology Solutions Li-Pro LSS Unit
EL DORADO, Ark., April 24, 2024 -- Standard Lithium Ltd. (“Standard Lithium” or the “Company”) (TSXV:SLI) (NYSE
American:SLI) (FRA:S5L), a leading near-commercial lithium development company, is pleased to announce that it has
successfully commissioned and validated the performance of the largest continuously-operating Direct Lithium Extraction
(“DLE”) equipment in North America. The Company recently installed a commercial-scale DLE column at its Demonstration
Plant near El Dorado, Arkansas. The column is a Li-Pro TM Lithium Selective Sorption (“LSS”) unit, supplied by Koch
Technology Solutions, LLC (“KTS”).
The column was installed and integrated into the Company’s existing Demonstration Plant, and is currently extracting lithium
from Smackover Formation brine at an input flow rate of 90 gallons per minute (“gpm”; or 20.4 m3/hr). This is, to the best of the
Company’s knowledge, both the largest DLE installation, and the only example of a commercial-scale DLE column in
operation in North America. Since commissioning, the column has operated continuously and exceeded the design
parameters for lithium recovery and rejection of impurities. Key technical highlights of the commercial-scale DLE column are
provided below:
Key Findings:
• Lithium Recovery Efficiency: During a representative two-week period of performance in April 2024, the Li-Pro TM LSS
(DLE) process achieved an average lithium recovery (i.e. after loading and elution) of 97.3% from the 90 gpm incoming
brine flow (the average incoming brine contained 208 mg/L lithium during the same period).
• Element Rejection Rate: During the same period, the DLE process rejected, on average, over 99% of the key
contaminants sodium, calcium, magnesium and potassium from the brine (i.e. less than 1% of those contaminants
made it through the DLE step into the first lithium chloride solution); and over 95% of boron was rejected.
◦ This high degree of contaminant rejection after DLE results in a substantially purified lithium chloride solution
(the eluate). This eluate can then be further refined and concentrated using tested and proven steps to make it
ready for conversion to either lithium carbonate or lithium hydroxide. These additional process steps have been
successfully demonstrated for several years at the Company’s Demonstration Plant. In simple terms, when the
DLE step rejects a higher percentage of impurities, the final lithium chloride solution, which is converted to
battery-quality products, can be produced more efficiently.
• Operational Cycles: The most recent full-size commercial scale Li-Pro TM LSS column has completed over 86
operational cycles, and the Li-ProTM LSS technology has completed over 8,500 operational cycles at the Demonstration
Plant.
• Brine Processed: As of the end of March 2024, the Demonstration Plant had processed 17,039,825 gallons (64,495,738
litres) of Smackover brine, produced directly from the formation and reinjected continuously back into the same
formation.
• Lithium Chloride: Since May 2020, the Demonstration Plant has produced many millions of gallons of ‘raw’ lithium
chloride eluate from several generations of DLE technology development. Almost all of the ‘raw’ lithium chloride has
been returned to the formation through LANXESS’ existing tail brine reinjection infrastructure. Additionally, over the last
4 years, approximately 330,000 gallons (1.25 million litres) of concentrated and/or purified lithium chloride solution have
been produced for further process testing or for conversion into battery-quality lithium carbonate or hydroxide.
The performance of this commercial-scale DLE column is being used to validate the design assumptions for the Phase 1A
Project and also underpins the process design work underway for the South West Arkansas (“SWA”) Project ( see Press
Release dated 24 January 2024).
Standard Lithium’s Director, President & COO, Dr. Andy Robinson commented: “Importantly, the column currently operating at
SLI’s Demonstration Plant is identical to those that will be used in the commercial application, both in terms of the size,
design and construction of the column, as well as the sorbent media being used inside. As such, this important collaboration
between SLI and KTS at our Demonstration Plant is the first example in North America of DLE technology being deployed
successfully using commercial-scale equipment. Validation of performance and successful operation of this column is a
significant derisking step on our way to becoming the next major sustainable lithium producer in North America. ”
Figure 1 – Upper and lower views of the Commercial-scale DLE column in operation at Standard Lithium’s Demonstration
Plant near El Dorado, Arkansas.
Figure 2 – Engineering design of commercial column configuration – SLI’s commercial facilities will use the same commercial
-scale column, as currently being operated by SLI, in a four pack configuration; the commercial plants are expected to have
multiple four packs.
About Standard Lithium Ltd.
Standard Lithium is a leading near-commercial lithium development company focused on the sustainable development of a
portfolio of lithium-brine bearing properties in the United States. The Company prioritizes brine projects characterized by high-
grade resources, robust infrastructure, skilled labor, and streamlined permitting. The Company aims to achieve sustainable,
commercial-scale lithium production via the application of a scalable and fully-integrated Direct Lithium Extraction (“DLE”) and
purification process. The Company’s signature projects, the Phase 1A Project and the South West Arkansas Project, are
located on the Smackover Formation in southern Arkansas, a region with a longstanding and established brine processing
industry. The Company has also identified a number of highly prospective lithium brine project areas in the Smackover
Formation in East Texas and is conducting an extensive brine leasing program in the key project areas. In addition, the
Company has an interest in certain mineral leases located in the Mojave Desert in San Bernardino County, California.
Standard Lithium trades on both the TSX Venture Exchange and the NYSE American under the symbol “SLI”; and on the
Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the symbol “S5L”. Please visit the Company’s website at www.standardlithium.com.
About Koch Technology Solutions
KTS is the technology licensing business of KES. KTS creates value for its customers across a growing portfolio of
technologies including direct lithium extraction, the polyester value chain, and 1,4-Butananediol plus its derivates. KTS
combines its exclusive technologies, expertise, and capabilities with those of other KES companies to provide overall
solutions to optimize customer’s capital investments and existing manufacturing assets.
Qualified Person
Marek Dworzanowski, EUR ING, CEng, HonFSAIMM, FIMMM, a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101,
and a Consulting Metallurgical Engineer who is independent of the Company, has reviewed and approved the relevant scientific
and technical information in this news release.
Twitter: @standardlithium
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/standard-lithium/
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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 intended development timelines, 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-
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