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Int. collaboration for cost-effective lithium extraction from geothermal brines

Int. collaboration for cost-effective lithium extraction from geothermal brines The Chemetall Foote Lithium Operation in Clayton Valley (Soruce: Flickr, CC, By: Doc Searls)
Francisco Rojas 5 Aug 2015

Esmeralda Minerals LLC will collaborate with with SRI International, thanks to US DOE funding to find better ways to develop new cheap methods for lithium extraction from geothermal brines.

Esmeralda Minerals LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Pure Energy Minerals Limited is pleased to announce a collaboration with SRI International, a research and innovation center, to develop novel cost-effective methods for lithium extraction from geothermal brines.

Funded by the US Department of Energy (DOE), SRI has teamed with Esmeralda Minerals LLC to develop and validate a new generation of highly selective ion exchange resins to separate metals from geothermal fluids more efficiently and at lower cost than current processes. Selective high-capacity sorbents have the potential to extract metals more efficiently and lower the cost of production of lithium materials. The research will be conducted using lithium-enriched brines collected from Esmeralda Minerals LLC’s lithium brine project in Clayton Valley, Nevada.

Robert Mintak, Pure Energy CEO, commented, “We are thrilled to partner with SRI on this important project to spur the development of cost-competitive technologies that will provide the critical minerals required to build clean energy technologies.”

About Esmeralda Minerals LLC

Esmeralda Minerals LLC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Pure Energy Minerals Ltd., an integrated lithium mining and processing developer with a focus on green ‘cradle to cradle’ lifecycle solutions for lithium supply in North America. Pure Energy is currently focused on the advancement of our prospective Clayton Valley Lithium Brine Project, located in the same basin as, and contiguous to, the only producing lithium operation in the United States, Albemarle’s Silver Peak lithium brine mine. More information about Esmeralda Minerals LLC can be found here http://tinyurl.com/esmeraldaminerals

About SRI International

SRI International creates world-changing solutions to make people safer, healthier, and more productive. SRI, a world-renown research center headquartered in Menlo Park, California, works primarily in advanced technology and systems, biosciences, computing, and education. Working with government and industry partners, SRI brings its innovations to the marketplace through technology licensing, spin-off ventures and new product solutions.

On behalf of the Board of Directors

“Robert Mintak”
Chief Executive Officer

Source: Press Release via StockHouse