Defense Metals Pre-Pilot Hydrometallurgy Achieves High Impurity Removal With Minimal Rare Earth Element Losses From Wicheeda Flotation Concentrate
Defense Metals Corp. (OTCQB: DFMTF) announced successful pre-pilot hydrometallurgical test results from its Wicheeda REE Property. The pilot plant produced a concentrate with an average of 7.4% NdPr oxide. Significant improvements include increasing manganese rejection from ~40% to ~85% with minimal REE loss (~1%) and enhancing concentrate weight reduction over 20%. The property holds indicated resources of 4.89 million tonnes at 3.02% LREO and inferred resources of 12.1 million tonnes at 2.90% LREO. The ongoing optimization aims to reduce acid consumption in the hydrometallurgical process.
- Successful pre-pilot hydrometallurgical test results demonstrating high-grade REE concentrate production.
- Significant manganese rejection improvement, increasing from ~40% to ~85% with minimal REE loss.
- Enhanced concentrate weight reduction exceeding 20%.
- None.
VANCOUVER, BC, March 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Defense Metals Corp. ("Defense Metals") (TSXV: DEFN) (OTCQB: DFMTF) (FSE: 35D) is pleased to announce that it has received additional pre-pilot hydrometallurgical test work utilizing high-grade rare earth element (REE) mineral concentrate produced during the Company's highly successful 26-tonne flotation pilot-plant that yielded a mineral concentrate averaging
The road accessible Wicheeda REE Property is located close to infrastructure approximately 80 kilometres northeast of Prince George, British Columbia (BC). The Wicheeda project has indicated mineral resources of 4,890,000 tonnes averaging
Highlights of the additional infill hydrometallurgical test results, which centred around optimizing gangue leach test conditions, conducted at SGS Canada Inc. ("SGS") Lakefield Site are as follows:
- Gangue leach optimization resulted in increased manganese rejection from ~
40% (pH 4) to ~85% (pH 3) from the flotation concentrate resulting in only minimal REE losses of approximately1% (Figure 1) - Increased concentrate weight reduction from <
10% gauge loss to >20%
Ongoing hydrometallurgical optimisation test work being conducted at SGS Lakefield is investigating options for reducing the caustic crack retention time, and acid concentrations in the caustic crack residue leach towards reducing acid consumption and downstream neutralization requirements.
Craig Taylor, CEO of Defense Metals, stated: "Defense Metals is extremely pleased with rapid advances being made in our pre-pilot hydrometallurgical optimization. We continue fine-tune our gangue leach, via milder conditions versus base case3, with an eye to striking the optimal balance of high front-end impurity rejection with minimal REE losses. The results announced today speak to the success of these efforts."
1 See Defense Metals News Release dated September 23, 2020 | ||||||||||||||
2 Technical Report on the Wicheeda Property, British Columbia, effective June 27, 2020 and prepared by APEX Geoscience Ltd. (Steven J. Nicholls, B.A. Sc., MAIG and Kristopher J. Raffle, B.Sc., P.Geo.) is available under Defense Metals Corp.'s profile on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) | ||||||||||||||
3 See Defense Metals News Release dated February 18, 2020 | ||||||||||||||
About the Wicheeda REE Property
The 1,708 hectare Wicheeda REE Property, located approximately 80 km northeast of the city of Prince George, British Columbia, is readily accessible by all-weather gravel roads and is nearby to infrastructure, including power transmission lines, the CN railway and major highways.
Geologically, the property is situated in the Foreland Belt and within the Rocky Mountain Trench, a major continental geologic feature. The Foreland Belt contains part of a large alkaline igneous province, stretching from the Canadian Cordillera to the southwestern United States, which includes several carbonatite and alkaline intrusive complexes hosting the Aley (niobium), Rock Canyon (REE), and Wicheeda (REE) deposits.
Qualified Person
The scientific and technical information contained in this news release as it relates to the Wicheeda REE Property has been reviewed and approved by Kristopher J. Raffle, P.Geo. (BC) Principal and Consultant of APEX Geoscience Ltd. of Edmonton, AB, a director of Defense Metals and a "Qualified Person" as defined in National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. Mr. Raffle verified the data disclosed which includes a review of the analytical and test data underlying the information and opinions contained therein.
Methodology and QA/QC
Hydrometallurgical product assays for neodymium was determined via lithium-borate fusion of a 0.5-gram sample analyzed via wavelength dispersion X-ray fluorescence (WD-XRF). The remaining rare earth elements for the head sample were determined via 0.5-gram sodium-peroxide fusion multi-element ICP-MS.
The SGS analyses included a quality assurance / quality control (QA/QC) program including the insertion of rare earth element standard and blank samples. Defense Metals detected no significant QA/QC issues during review of the data. Defense Metals is not aware of any drilling, sampling, recovery or other factors that could materially affect the accuracy or reliability of the data referred to herein. SGS is an ISO/IEC 17025 and ISO9001:2015 accredited laboratory. SGS is independent of Defense Metals Corp.
About Defense Metals Corp.
Defense Metals Corp. is a mineral exploration company focused on the acquisition of mineral deposits containing metals and elements commonly used in the electric power market, military, national security and the production of "GREEN" energy technologies, such as, high strength alloys and rare earth magnets. Defense Metals has an option to acquire
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.
Cautionary Statement Regarding "Forward-Looking" Information
This news release contains "forward–looking information or statements" within the meaning of applicable securities laws, which may include, without limitation, statements relating to, plans for its Wicheeda Property, the advancement and development of the Wicheeda Property, the technical, financial and business prospects of the Company, its project and other matters. All statements in this news release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that the Company expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Such statements and information are based on numerous assumptions regarding present and future business strategies and the environment in which the Company will operate in the future, including the price of rare earth elements, the ability to achieve its goals, that general business and economic conditions will not change in a material adverse manner, that financing will be available if and when needed and on reasonable terms. Such forward-looking information reflects the Company's views with respect to future events and is subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including those filed under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. While such estimates and assumptions are considered reasonable by the management of the Company, they are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive and regulatory uncertainties and risks. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward looking statements include, but are not limited to, continued availability of capital and financing and general economic, market or business conditions, adverse weather conditions, failure to maintain or obtain all necessary government permits, approvals and authorizations, failure to maintain community acceptance (including First Nations), decrease in the price of rare earth elements, the impact of Covid-19 or other viruses and diseases on the Company's ability to operate increase in costs, litigation, and failure of counterparties to perform their contractual obligations. The Company does not undertake to update forward–looking statements or forward–looking information, except as required by law.
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SOURCE Defense Metals Corp.
FAQ
What were the results of the recent hydrometallurgical tests by Defense Metals Corp. on the Wicheeda REE Property?
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What is the significance of the 7.4% NdPr oxide concentrate mentioned in Defense Metals' press release?
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