The increase in interest in Lithium and prompted by a key Cycladex investor, we carried out data mining on our own data where we had metal extraction from a variety of ores and quite often saw lithium as well as gold. Following on from that, after a detailed laboratory study we developed a broad chemistry set covering a wide variety of conditions which had been developed previously for gold and patented them for use with lithium. Recently, we completed a series of manufacturing runs at our commercial plant and identified lithium extraction at high levels of 400 gm of lithium metal in solution which is equivalent to 2400gm of lithium carbonate. We are now working with technology companies who have developed a route from our lithium salt to lithium carbonate using carbon dioxide. Cycladex lithium was set up as a wholly owned subsidiary of Cycladex Ltd.

The key attributes of the new process are:

• High yield at room temperature in 30 min reaction time
• Recycle of leach reducing waste streams
• Reduction in capital and operating costs allowing smaller plants to be built on mine site
• Use of carbon dioxide generates carbon dioxide credits for battery manufacturers
• Waste tailings can be converted into building materials for infrastructure developments