New method increases energy density in lithium batteries
Yuan Yang, assistant professor of materials science and engineering at Columbia Engineering, has developed a new method to increase the energy density of lithium (Li-ion) batteries. He has built a trilayer structure that is stable even in ambient air, which makes the battery both longer lasting and cheaper to manufacture. The work, which may improve the energy density of lithium batteries by 10-30%, is published online today in Nano Letters.
“When lithium batteries are charged the first time, they lose anywhere from 5-20% energy in that first cycle,” says Yang. “Through our design, we’ve been able to gain back this loss, and we think our method has great potential to increase the operation time of batteries for portable electronics and electrical vehicles.”
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Stans Energy Seeks International Intellectual Property Rights for Lithium Carbonate Production Technology
Toronto, Ontario – Stans Energy Corp. (TSX-V: HRE, OTCQB: HREEF), (“Stans” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce that the Company will be seeking global distribution rights to the beneficiation and processing technologies developed by it’s Russian partners for the production of lithium concentrates and lithium carbonate from lithium bearing spodumene.
As previously reported on October 11, 2016, Stans’ partners’ technical contractor VNIIHT (Leading Institute of Chemical Technology), a research and development division of Rosatom, have developed a complete flow sheet for the production of lithium carbonate from lithium bearing spodumene. A luminescent and poly-chromium photometric sorting technology is used to separate high-grade mineralization from waste rock and then a flotation process is employed to produce 4.48% Li20 concentrate. Pyro- and hydro-metallurgical technology is then used to process this concentrate to produce lithium carbonate, a marketable product. This patentable technology will be licensed for export by Stans and then licensed to other companies in the lithium sector.
“The global demand for lithium continues to escalate and numerous companies in the sector will need the technology that Stans will be licensing to other lithium producers to assist them to meet product requirements from downstream users. Stans intends to capitalize on the growing demand for lithium products by creating multiple revenue streams from both the sale of lithium carbonate products and the licensing of lithium carbonate production technology,” states Rodney Irwin, CEO and President.
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Macarthur Minerals Locates Lithium in Basin Adjacent to Clayton Valley With Surface Grades up to 145.5 ppm Lithium
Macarthur Minerals Limited (TSX VENTURE: MMS) (the “Company” or “Macarthur Minerals”) is pleased to announce that it has located lithium near surface in the Lida Valley, Nevada, the basin adjacent to the Clayton Valley, which hosts North America’s only producing lithium mine, Albemarle’s Silver Peak Lithium Mine.
Lithium has been located at the Company’s new Stonewall Lithium Project (“Stonewall Project”) in Southern Nevada, from a shallow auger drilling program conducted as part of due diligence, for acquisition of the Stonewall Project, which is now complete. All nine shallow auger drill holes reported lithium, with grades up to 145.5 parts per million (“ppm”) lithium (“Li”) from near surface sediment, confirming that lithium is present in the Lida Valley.
David Taplin, President, CEO and Director of Macarthur Minerals commented:
“Finding lithium at surface at the Stonewall Project, in the Lida Valley, the basin adjacent to North America’s only producing lithium mine, is potentially significant; not only for Macarthur but it also emphasises the lithium potential of the Lida Valley. Deeper drilling into the basin and the brines is a priority to ascertain if the same lithium brine potential exists in the Lida Valley as has been discovered and extracted in the adjacent Clayton Valley. We have completed acquisition of the Stonewall Project and are excited about moving this project forward.”
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American Lithium Reports Low Magnesium Grades in Lithium Enriched Surface Brines at Fish Lake Valley North Playa
VANCOUVER, Oct. 21, 2016 – American Lithium Corp. (TSXV: Li) (OTCQB: LiACF) (Frankfurt: 5LA; WKN: A2AHEL) (“American Lithium” or the “Company”), is pleased to report that further testing on the surface brines has reported low magnesium (Mg) concentrations and overall an inverse relationship between lithium (Li) and magnesium grades.
| Sample # | Li mg/L | Mg mg/L | Sample # | Li mg/L | Mg mg/L |
| 1431001 | 434 | 0.4 | 1431013 | 385 | 0.1 |
| 1431002 | 321 | 0.4 | 1431014 | 503 | <0.1 |
| 1431003 | 537 | 0.3 | 1431015 | 369 | <0.1 |
| 1431004 | 479 | 0.3 | 1431016 | 397 | 0.1 |
| 1431005 | 510 | 0.3 | 1431017 | 102 | 0.6 |
| 1431006 | 398 | 0.2 | 1431018 | 47.9 | 0.2 |
| 1431007 | 401 | 0.6 | 1431019 | 94.2 | 0.1 |
| 1431008 | 488 | 0.7 | 1431020 | 24.5 | 0.9 |
| 1431009 | 380 | 0.2 | 1431021 | 23.8 | 0.6 |
| 1431010 | 47.0 | 0.6 | 1431022 | 2.4 | 30.8 |
| 1431011 | 382 | 0.1 | 1431023 | 98.7 | 0.8 |
| 1431012 | 286 | 0.2 | 1431024 | 412 | 1.0 |
| Detection limits of 0.1mg/L for both Li and Mg |
5 Canadian lithium stocks to play surging battery demand
Demand forecasts for lithium are enough to get any investor excited.
Driven largely by energy grid storage and electric vehicle battery usage, annual demand for the commodity rose 26 per cent in 2016, and is set to climb to 39 per cent in 2018 and 73 per cent by 2025.
But the recent pullback in spot lithium carbonate prices has caused a correction in equities exposed to lithium exploration and development.
However, analysts at Canaccord Genuity point out that contract lithium prices have remained firm, thereby creating an attractive entry point for investors.
They initiated coverage on four of the largest lithium exploration and development companies listed in Canada, which account for roughly one-third of that market.
“We believe that North American investors are now willing to look beyond the failures of the past to see the potential for serious exploration and development companies,” Eric Zaunscherb said in a report titled Lithium 2.0: The Second Coming.
His top pick in the group is Critical Elements Corp., whose Rose project in Quebec offers investors a low-risk jurisdiction, production by 2021, and a “solid” 41 per cent after-tax internal rate of return.
It also has a strong partner in German chemical distributor HELM, while the stock trades at a healthy discount to its peers.
Next up is Lithium Americas Corp., which has the lowest lithium pricing leverage in the group, but has large-scale lithium carbonate production with its partner and industry giant, Chile’s SQM.
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