Astute Metals (ASX:ASE) said it completed proof-of-concept beneficiation testwork on diamond drill core samples at the Red Mountain lithium project in Nevada, according to a Tuesday Australian bourse filing.
The testwork was designed to separate lithium-bearing clay from unmineralized gangue and concentrate the clay, achieving a decrease in mass and increasing lithium grade.
It achieved a reduction of sample mass by 36.3% with a concurrent increase in lithium grade to 858 parts-per-million from 703 ppm, with an overall 77.8% lithium recovery.
The firm will conduct further testwork on average and high-grade samples.
Its shares rose 24% in recent trading on Tuesday.