Australian heavy rare earths producer Northern Minerals (ASX: NTU) has provided an update on the separation study at K-Tech, the ore sorting project and pilot plant initiatives associated with the Browns Range Pilot Plant Project.
HIGHLIGHTS
· Positive results from first stages of bench scale separation testwork at K-Tech using Continuous Ion Exchange and Continuous Ion Chromatography;
· Ore Sorting Project well advanced with civil works scheduled to commence in November;
· Subject to approvals, the Company aims to have the ore sorter installed and commissioned by mid-2020; and
· Majority of pilot plant initiatives to improve recovery, availability and throughput have been completed and are being commissioned.
In August 2019, the Company announced the commencement of a Scoping Study to investigate separation technology on intermediate mixed rare earths materials produced at Browns Range.
If adopted, this technology will allow Northern Minerals to produce separated rare earth oxides, including dysprosium oxide and terbium oxide, for sale directly to permanent magnet makers globally, rather than a mixed heavy rare earth carbonate. The bench scale separation testwork commenced in September 2019 at K-Tech’s Florida laboratory and preliminary results indicate the Stage 1 continuous ion exchange (CIX) has been successful.
The rare earths (RE) load in preference to the non-RE on the resin. Regeneration was successful and the composition of the regeneration solution showed that final non-RE/RE ratio is in the range that would allow for the regeneration solution to be used as the feed for the Stage 2 continuous ion chromatography (CIC) step, where initial separation of the rare earths by group begins. Stage 2 bench testing simulating the first phase of the CIC has also been successful, as regeneration solution from Stage 1 has been introduced to the CIC test columns and demonstrate that group separations of RE’s have occurred.
Testwork will continue to optimise this stage of the separation and collect sufficient group RE samples to proceed to Stage 3: Individual RE separation and purification. The bench scale testwork will continue through the December quarter and into Q1 2020, with the Scoping Study to follow on completion of the testwork. If the bench scale testwork and Scoping Study is successful, the Company intends to undertake a pilot testwork program and install the technology as part of the current Pilot Plant Project at Browns Range to assess the saleability of this differentiated product to an end user customer base.
Northern Minerals’ Managing Director and CEO, George Bauk, said “It’s exciting to see positive results from the first stages of bench scale testwork being undertaken at K-Tech. If successful, we would have a clear pathway to advance downstream in the supply chain to supply separated products to a much wider customer base.”
“We have moved quickly to advance the ore sorter project, identified as a potential game changer for the project. Higher grades going into the plant would result in higher production rates and lower operating costs, a double win in terms of improving the economics of the Browns Range Project.
“It’s also very pleasing to see the initiatives identified by our operations team being implemented safely on site and which we expect will start to flow through into improved operational performance in the coming months.”
