Charger Metals (ASX:CHR) reports 94.9% lithium recovery and 10.6Mt Medcalf resource from Lake Johnston testwork

Charger Metals has reported Stage 1 metallurgical results from its 100% owned Lake Johnston Lithium Project in Western Australia, based on crushing, screening and ore sorting testwork completed on the Medcalf deposit.

Highlights

• Lithium grade increased from 1.01% to 1.32% (31% increase)

• Lithium recovery of 94.9%

• Ta2O5 grade increased from 109ppm to 147ppm (34% increase)

• Ta2O5 recovery of 97.2%

• +10mm sorted concentrate achieved 1.37% Li2O and 159ppm Ta2O5

• Iron grade reduced to 1.27%, with 78% Fe rejection

• Average crushing work index of 7.55 kWh/tonne

• Mineral Resource Estimate of 10.6Mt @ 1.0% Li2O and 107ppm Ta2O5

The testwork was completed on a 150kg composite sample of Medcalf pegmatite and amphibolite material from diamond core drilling.

The sample was processed through crushing, screening and ore sorting using TOMRA COM XRT technology, with the Master Composite head grade reported at 1.01% Li2O and 109ppm Ta2O5.

Ore sorting testwork was completed on +25mm and +10mm to 25mm size fractions, with lithium recovery reported at 94% and 93% for the respective fractions.

Iron rejection was reported at 86% in both runs, while waste fractions reported lithium grades of 0.18% and 0.20% Li2O.

Combined results including +10mm, +25mm and -10mm fractions reported a total concentrate grade of 1.32% Li₂O and 147ppm Ta₂O₅, with lithium recovery of 94.9% and Ta₂O₅ recovery of 97.2%, while iron grade was reported at 1.27% compared with a feed grade of 4.23%, and the crushing work index was reported at 7.55 kWh/tonne and the abrasion index at 0.302.

Charger Metals Managing Director Bryan Dixon said:

“Charger is pleased with the excellent initial metallurgical results confirmed for crushing and ore sorting lithium grades increasing to 1.32% Li2O (31% increase) with 94.9% recovery and 147ppm Ta2O5 (34% increase) with 97.2% recovery. 78% of the detrimental Fe units were rejected as waste, resulting in an iron grade of 1.27%.”

Stage 2 testwork will include heavy liquid separation and dense media cyclone testing, while Stage 3 testwork will include variability samples under optimum conditions determined in Stage 2.

The Medcalf Mineral Resource Estimate is reported at 10.6Mt @ 1.0% Li2O and 107ppm Ta2O5 for 106kt contained Li2O.

The Company also reports a binding agreement for the sale of the Bynoe Lithium Project for $3.75 million cash.