Combined production of Lithium and China Clay in Cornwall (CLiCCC)

Lithium is a crucial ingredient for a more sustainable future. Used in batteries to store renewable energy and power the growing number of electric vehicles, it plays a vital role in the UK’s transition to a zero-carbon economy.

Lithium is primarily imported from countries including Bolivia, Argentina, Australia and China. However, there are domestic sources, most notably in the Cornish granite mined for kaolin, otherwise known as China Clay.

A consortium led by mineral exploration company Cornish Lithium, in partnership with minerals processor Imerys and sustainable manufacturing consultancy HSSMI, explored the feasibility of extracting both lithium and kaolin from Cornish granite – thus increasing the resource efficiency of the mined rock, making this vital Cornish industry more internationally competitive and securing a domestic supply of lithium.

Granite in Cornwall has been mined for kaolin for nearly 300 years. It was once a mainstay of the UK industry, producing raw materials for Britain’s potteries and paper industry. It is still used extensively in ceramics, paints, plastics, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.

Lithium is contained within Li-mica minerals, which, along with other minerals in the granite, are separated from kaolinite during kaolin production. This by-product is sold for aggregate or stored at tailings facilities.

With funding from the Transforming Foundation Industries Challenge, Cornish Lithium undertook sampling of the by-products at Imerys sites, including both operational and historic waste streams.

“We took over 600 samples from surface and drilling and sent them to a lab for analysis of mineral content to give an indication of lithium potential. The material was then studied to assess the amenability of lithium processing and extraction alongside kaolin production,” explains project lead Karen Oliver from Cornish Lithium. “We established there was a lot of variability, but we also saw some very promising results.”

Alongside sampling, the project calculated the economic potential of lithium extraction, reviewing the technologies and infrastructure options available, including the viability of utilising existing facilities from the kaolin industry.

In addition, HSSMI completed a life cycle analysis to consider potential environmental impact, which concluded that extracting lithium from waste material could help lower the carbon emissions associated with lithium production.

The potential to source lithium from minerals found in China Clay waste brings multiple benefits, says Oliver, and Cornish Lithium is now exploring options for building a pilot plant. “One of the great benefits of this project was being able to draw on the extensive expertise in mineralogy and mineral processing in the Southwest,” she explains. “Co-production of lithium and kaolin could not only increase resource efficiency and reduce waste, but also generate additional revenue sources, protect existing jobs and create opportunities for new highly skilled employment in the region.”

“Co-production of lithium and kaolin could not only increase resource efficiency and reduce waste, but also generate additional revenue sources, protect existing jobs and create opportunities for new highly skilled employment in the [Southwest] region.”

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