Rapid Critical Metals Achieves Exceptional Silver Upgrades with TOMRA XRT Ore Sorting at Webbs Stockpiles

Methodology of TOMRA XRT Ore Sorting and Sample Details

Rapid Critical Metals engaged TOMRA Sorting Pty Ltd to perform XRT ore sorting on two carefully selected samples from Webbs Silver mine stockpiles. The WPWHS sample consisted of 21.8 kilograms of processed waste material screened to 6–14 millimeters, while the WSHMM sample included 553.8 kilograms of unprocessed ore screened to 10–40 millimeters. Both underwent two types of XRT processing to assess their response to ore sorting technology.

The testing involved a two-stage sorting process. The first stage used contrast-XRT to isolate high-density minerals like argentite and galena from host rock, producing a high-grade concentrate. The second stage reprocessed the waste fraction using dual energy XRT (DE-XRT) to reject base metal sulphides, generating middlings and final waste. This approach evaluated both primary concentration and secondary recovery potential for each sample.

Exceptional Silver Upgrades in Unprocessed Ore Sample

The unprocessed ore sample (WSHMM) showed outstanding results. In Run 5, feed material grading 565.26 g/t Ag was upgraded to a concentrate grading 994 g/t Ag, with 98% silver recovery and 44% mass rejection relative to the TOMRA feed. This indicates nearly half of the material mass was removed while retaining most silver content.

Run 6 reprocessed the waste from Run 5, achieving 71% mass rejection and 77% silver recovery from the feed. Although specific silver grades for this pass were not disclosed, cumulative silver recovery across both runs reached 100%, demonstrating the effectiveness of the two-stage sorting on unprocessed stockpile material.

Processed Waste Sample Results and Economic Significance

The processed waste sample (WPWHS) also responded well. Run 1 upgraded material from 164.6 g/t Ag to a concentrate of 1,120 g/t Ag—the highest grade recorded—with 94% mass rejection relative to the feed. This highlights the sorter’s efficiency in removing barren host rock from previously processed material.

Despite lower feed grades, the WPWHS sample achieved a 41% cumulative silver recovery across two runs. Recovering valuable silver from historical waste stockpiles offers significant economic benefits by potentially generating cash flow from existing inventory rather than relying solely on new mining operations.

Mineralogical Factors Enhancing Ore Sorting Effectiveness

The consistent positive response across samples and size fractions is attributed to mineralogical properties at Webbs, including well-liberated silver sulphides and distinct density differences between sulphides and waste rock. These factors enable effective classification and separation using X-ray transmission technology.

Managing Director Byron Miles stated, "The Webbs/Consol ore is very amenable to ore sorting and the results are very positive for the project," expressing confidence that these findings will extend to other mine materials and future ore production.

Operational Benefits: Lower Costs and Smaller Processing Plant

Incorporating ore sorting can reject barren rock before milling, reducing throughput, energy consumption, tailings storage, and operating costs. This allows for a smaller processing plant while maintaining silver output to the concentrator.

The company emphasized that ore sorting is a mainstream, low-risk technology in mining. Losing only 1–2% of contained silver in the rejected fraction while improving plant efficiency represents a substantial economic advantage. Additionally, processing historical waste stockpiles may provide near-term cash flow beyond the ongoing scoping study.

Next Steps: Ore Sorting on Drill Core and Primary Deposits

Rapid Critical Metals plans further ore sorting tests on fresh drill core from current resource drilling to confirm the technology’s effectiveness on unweathered material. Managing Director Byron Miles noted, "We expect to undertake further work in the future on the drill core samples obtained from the resource drilling currently underway."

The company anticipates that primary ore deposits will respond similarly to the stockpiles, pending validation. Confirming consistent ore sorting performance on fresh core will support integrating this technology into the main processing flowsheet rather than limiting it to stockpile processing.

Strategic Importance and Development Timeline

As Rapid Critical Metals advances the Webbs Silver mine, these ore sorting results will influence the upcoming scoping study, integrating ore sorting as a key technical element. The positive impact on processing economics, particularly by upgrading low-grade ore that would otherwise be waste, is expected to enhance the study’s outcomes.

This initiative aligns with industry trends favoring pre-concentration and waste rejection to boost operational and capital efficiency. For a junior miner, the ability to design a cost-effective processing plant and generate cash flow from stockpiles offers a competitive edge in project development and financing.

Silver Market Outlook and Webbs Project Positioning

Silver’s demand is rising due to its use in photography, electronics, solar energy, jewelry, and industrial applications. Rapid Critical Metals’ Webbs Silver mine benefits from this trend, with ore sorting improving concentrate grades from 565 g/t to 994 g/t, enhancing metal quality and recovery, which positively affects downstream processing and market value.

The ore sorting success also validates the Webbs resource’s mineralogy, indicating a well-characterized, straightforward deposit that reduces technical risks. This validation provides confidence to investors and financiers regarding the deposit’s performance during mining operations.