Matthew BoyleNorthwestern Ontario, a region known for its exceptional spodumene-bearing pegmatites, is home to the Midex Crescent Lake Lithium Project.
The majority of the world is still following a lithium learning curve as international policymakers make progress toward achieving climate targets. Understanding the fundamentals of lithium is crucial for locating projects with large economic potential and high discovery potential.
Numerous minerals, including spodumene, petalite, lepidolite and amblygonite, contain lithium. Pegmatite deposits, which are metamorphic rocks created by the crystallization of magma, contain these minerals. Additionally, brines, which are focused salt solutions, contain lithium.
Midex Resources Ltd. ( Midex ) has deliberately gathered projects in Ontario, Canada. The acquisition of very potential lithium assets in areas known to host significant tonnage spodumene deposits has been influenced by Midex’s understanding of Ontario geology and how it relates to local controls on difficult rock lithium deposits.
two primary types of lithium
The next step is to transform the spodumene mineral into lithium chemicals after it has been produced through processing at the mine site. The most popular kind of lithium compound is lithium carbonate ( Li2CO3 ). Ceramics, glassmaking, and, more recently, battery manufacturing are just a few of the uses for it. The precursor to lithium batteries is lithium hydroxide ( LiOH).
Chemicals containing lithium can even be categorized based on how pure they are. Lower- purity lithium compounds may be used in different applications, such as ceramics and glassmaking, while high-purity lithium substances are normally employed in the production of batteries.
The benefit of spodumene deposits and following concentrates is that they can feed both lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide plants. Deposits of lithium brine are typically just used to make lithium carbonate.
Why concentrate assets
Midex became aware of the emerging trend of a backwards supply chain integration earlier on. This crucial signal directed Midex to focus on deposit types that would offer battery manufacturers the most alluring options.
Both petalite and spodumene are lithium-bearing minerals that are employed in numerous applications. But, spodumene deposits have a number of benefits over petalite, including:
- Spodumene is commonly found in larger and more focused deposits than petalite, making it less costly to mine.
- Higher lithium yields: Spodumene usually has higher lithium concentrations than petalite, which lowers processing costs because spodumene ore can more frequently produce a higher-grade lithium concentrate.
- Spodumene is easier to process than petalite. This is due to the fact that spodumene is a fairly gentle mineral that can be ground and crushed with ease. Additionally, sulphuric acid, the primary chemical used to extract lithium from spodumene, is somewhat liquid in it.
- Versatility: Skoptumene is more adaptable than petalite in addition to the aforementioned benefits. Petalite can only be used to create lithium carbonate, whereas spodumene can also produce lithium hydroxide. For battery manufacturers, who require both lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide to produce lithium-ion batteries, this makes spodumene a more alluring option.
In order to improve future project economics, Midex has approached the acquisition of mining tenure with a business lens in addition to concentrating on the potential of spodumene deposits. This includes focusing acquisitions on properties that are close to well-established infrastructure and supply chains, are in the midst of innovative staged projects, and encourage the acceleration of new discoveries.
A prime example is Midex’s flagship Crescent Lake Project, which is situated next to Green Technology Metals ‘ ( ASX: GT1 ) flagship Seymour Project. On their Seymour Project, which is less than ten kilometers from four Midex spodumene pegmatite occurrences and immediately opposite to the Crescent Lake project, GT Metals just unveiled their plans for a northern processing facility. Additionally, GT Metals is conducting a tentative financial assessment on opportunistic lithium chemical conversion facility in Thunder Bay, Ontario.
Almost 40, 000 hectares of lithium-focused mining claims that are located directly on important geological control structures that have been shown to contain spodumene-rich pegmatites are under Midex’s control. World-class results are still being produced by sophisticated projects that are adjacent to Midex’s Berens and Crescent Lake projects. The Seymour Lake Project by “GT Metals” stands out the most.
With a mineral resource of 12.6MT and 1.21 % Li2O, Midex’s Allison Lake project is situated in an active exploration area about 40 kilometers from GT Metals Root Lithium Project. Following the findings of a late conducted LiDAR survey at Allison, Middlex has finished surficial analysis of the area and has started prospecting and sampling programs.
The Onion Lake and Case Lake Projects from Midex are a little more grassroots in nature. In the Abitibi greenstone belt, close to and under attack from Power Metals, is the Case Lake Project.
The EV ecosystem in Ontario
One of the largest, highest caliber, royalty-free, salt project portfolios in Ontario has been put together by Midex. In order to take advantage of Ontario’s potential advantages in terms of mineral concentrators, chemical conversion facilities, and transportation routes, Midex is effectively positioned.
No other region in North America—and very some elsewhere in the world—contains a sizable technology ecosystem that is linked to an abundant supply of raw materials to sustain the whole ecosystem.
The cost and amount of CO2 and nbsp emissions brought on by the latest long supply chains have significantly decreased as a result of this abrupt shortening of transportation links.
Equally significant is Ontario’s reliable and extremely low-emission electricity infrastructure. Due to its location in a highly secure jurisdiction, this radioactive and hydro-dominated grid can reliably power the lithium supply chain and increase security.
