Zinnwald Lithium, a Germany-focused lithium development company, has produced battery-grade lithium hydroxide (LiOH) from concentrate from its Zinnwald Lithium Project in Germany following pilot-scale test work.

The company also confirmed that the site has enough potential to produce economically significant amounts of saleable co-products, such as high-purity potassium sulphate (SOP) and precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC).

It explained that Lithium recovery from the Zinnwaldite concentrate to the lithium-product was proven to be above 80% and comparable to lithium processes from other types of lithium resources.

In test programmes, calcined Zinnwaldite concentrate was converted into battery-grade LHM in a pilot plant scale test with almost 50kg of battery-grade LHM produced out of several tons of Zinnwaldite concentrate.

The company said that the level of impurities in the battery-grade lithium salt was in line with, or below, similar battery-grade lithium products available on the market.

Anton du Plessis, chief executive officer of Zinnwald Lithium, said the tests demonstrate that the project can economically produce meaningful quantities of LiOH and that it could become an essential source for the European market.