Co-production of Lithium and China Clay in Cornwall - CLiCCC

康沃尔的中国粘土(或称高岭土)自发现以来已有近275年的历史，曾是英国工业的中流砥柱，为英国的陶器和造纸工业生产原材料。英国人中国粘土曾是英国家喻户晓的名字，也曾是世界上最大的中国粘土生产商，1999年被出售给法国伊梅里斯公司。该行业仍然是英国第一产业的重要组成部分，在康沃尔中部雇佣了750多人，每年为康沃尔郡的经济贡献9200万GB(Imerys统计数据，2020年7月)。不幸的是，由于印刷和书写纸需求的减少，以及海外高岭土和其他矿物来源的竞争，中国粘土行业长期以来一直在衰落。康沃尔的中国粘土主要来自分解的花岗岩，这种岩石也含有锂云母形式的锂矿物。英国地质调查局1987年的一份报告概述了康沃尔中国粘土地区的锂潜力，康尼什锂有限公司目前正在评估从这一来源提取锂的可能性，康尼什锂有限公司是这项赠款申请的主要合作伙伴。该项目财团将包括艾默里斯公司、康尼什锂公司和HSSMI公司，旨在通过评估从与中国粘土位于同一岩石中的矿物中提取锂的经济可行性来增强康尼什中国粘土行业的弹性，从而提高开采岩石的资源效率。使这一至关重要的康沃尔产业在国际上更具竞争力，并确保国内锂供应，这对向可再生能源和零碳经济的过渡至关重要。该项目采用创新的方法评估尖端的锂提取技术，并开发新的工艺，使锂的联合生产与Imerys目前的高岭土生产保持一致，展示了为英国生产一种至关重要的新金属的商业可能性，同时使基础行业更具弹性。锂至关重要，因为它在向可再生能源/零碳经济过渡中至关重要。英国渴望成为电池和电动汽车(EV)生产和技术的领先者，但面临着一个重大障碍，因为国内没有安全的锂供应用于电池制造：这是首相最近指出的一个问题。从中国粘土废料(当前和历史材料)中发现的矿物联合生产锂将减少浪费并创造额外的收入来源，从而提高资源效率。

The China Clay (or kaolin) industry in Cornwall has been in operation for nearly 275 years since its discovery and was once a mainstay of UK industry, producing raw materials for Britain's potteries and paper industry. English China Clays was once a household name in Britain and was formerly the world's largest producer of china clay, before being sold to French company Imerys in 1999. The industry still forms a significant part of UK primary industry, employing over 750 people in mid-Cornwall and contributing £92m/year into the Cornish economy (Imerys statistics July 2020). Unfortunately, the china clay industry has long been in decline due to reducing demand for printing and writing papers and the emergence of competing kaolin sources and other minerals overseas.China clay in Cornwall is largely sourced from decomposed granite, a rock that also contains lithium minerals in the form of lithium mica. The lithium potential of the china clay region in Cornwall was outlined in a British Geological Survey (BGS) report of 1987 and the possibility of lithium extraction from this source is currently being evaluated by Cornish Lithium Ltd -- the lead partner in this grant application.The project consortium will include Imerys, Cornish Lithium and HSSMI and aims to enhance resilience of the Cornish china clay industry by evaluating the economic viability of extracting lithium from minerals that occur in the same rock as china clay -- thus increasing the resource efficiency of the mined rock, making this vital Cornish industry more internationally competitive and securing a domestic supply of lithium that is vital to the transition to renewable energy and a zero-carbon economy. This project takes an innovative approach to evaluating cutting-edge lithium extraction techniques and developing new processes to align co-production of lithium with Imerys' current kaolin production, demonstrating the commercial possibility to produce a vital new metal for the UK whilst making the Foundation Industry more resilient.Lithium is critical due to its vital importance in the transition to renewable energy/zero-carbon economy. The UK aspires to be a leader in battery and electric vehicle (EV) production and technology but faces a major hurdle given that there is no secure domestic supply of lithium for battery manufacture: an issue noted recently by the Prime Minister. Co-production of lithium from minerals found in china clay waste (current and historic material) will increase resource efficiency by reducing waste and generating additional revenue sources.