Spodumene Lithium Processing

Expertise, Lithium Test Centre, Full-Scale Plants

Spodumene Lithium Processing: Concentration, Refining, and Conversion

(CRC) of Dissolved Lithium
Process impure lithium sulfate solutions into battery-grade lithium carbonate or lithium hydroxide.

Saltworks’ core technology

By others
Heat CaCO3 + CaO Na2CO3 Neutralization
H2SO4
H2SO4 Li2SO4 with
impurities Hardness &
Acid leaching and
Treated ore metals removal
neutralization
BrineRefine
~10 % (wt)
Li2SO4
Silica + CaSO4 + others CaCO3
~20 % (wt)
High-TDS ion Li2SO4 Evaporation
exchange polish SaltMaker MVR H2O Condensate
XtremeIX Evaporator

Lithium Carbonate Pathway Lithium Hydroxide Pathway

Purified Li2SO4

Purified Li2SO4

Na2CO3 NaOH LiOH production

BrineRefine

Li2CO3
Lithium brine recycle

conversion
BrineRefine Chilled crystallizer
SaltMaker Na2SO4·10H2O
ChilledCrys

Battery-grade LiOH solution

Li2CO3 1st Crystallization H2O condensate
SaltMaker MVR
Neutralization Crystallizer Mother liquor
H2SO4 recycle
LiOH·H2O

LiOH·H2O
H2O
dissolution

Crystallization Mother 2nd Crystallization

H2O
SaltMaker MVR Na2SO4 liquor SaltMaker MVR
condensate
Crystallizer solution recycle Crystallizer

Anhydrous Battery-grade
Na2SO4 LiOH·H2O

Concentrate, Refine, Convert

Saltworks’ spodumene processing technology applies to dissolved lithium processing. Saltworks concentrates, refinines, and
converts the lithium in the solution to battery-grade lithium chemicals. We also recover lithium from wastewaters and treat
hypersaline wastewaters emerging from the plant, including evaporator blowdown streams.

Process, Technologies, and Economics

Progress de-risked optimized processes, pilots, and full-scale plants. We provide flexible options, from engineering services,
single-unit operations, or a complete lithium processing system.

R2 saltworkstech.com +1 604-628-6508 [email protected]

© Saltworks Technologies Inc.
Saltworks and Your Lithium Project
Start today by contacting us. Client confidentiality, deep technical focus, and • Process flow optimization and
responsiveness are critical at Saltworks. costing
• Lab- and bench-scale analysis to
de‑risk and optimize
• Front-end engineering design
• Pilot projects at our site or yours to
prove performance

1 2 3 4 • Full-scale modular unit operations

to integrate with others
Process Pilot: Full-Scale: Operational
Optimization Lithium Unit Ops, Support & • Full-scale complete lithium systems
Test Centre Complete Plants, Optimization from start to finish
Digitization

Lithium Concentration & Processing Technologies: Modular & Digitized

BrineRefine & XtremeUF: Refine & Convert
Ensure the highest lithium quality and yield by precisely
targeting impurities at the beginning of the refining process.
We pair smart chemical conversion processes (BrineRefine)
with robust ceramic ultrafiltration (XtremeUF) to consistently
produce high-purity outputs. A carbonate reactor (BrineRefine
in a different configuration) is used downstream to produce
technical- or battery-grade lithium carbonate.

SaltMaker ChilledCrys
For specific chemistries, chilled crystallization offers
exceptionally lower costs than evaporative crystallizers—
producing solids with a fraction of the energy required.
We package our closed loop chilled crystallization technology
with intelligent controls for continuous separation of water
and salt. SaltMaker ChilledCrys recovers and recycles valuable
salts generated in mineral processing, including anhydrous
sodium sulfate (Na2SO4).

SaltMaker MVR Evaporators & Crystallizers:

Concentrate and/or Crystallize
Maximize downstream yield by concentrating lithium
sulfate to optimal levels with a SaltMaker MVR evaporator,
or produce battery-grade lithium hydroxide crystals with a
SaltMaker MVR crystallizer, then wash and centrifuge.
Configured as evaporators or crystallizers, SaltMaker MVR
forced-circulation systems are fully automated, with built-in
self-cleaning. As a crystallizer, integrated solids management
systems ensure reliability at optimal capacity.

R2 saltworkstech.com +1 604-628-6508 [email protected]

© Saltworks Technologies Inc.