Surefire Resources (ASX: SRN) achieves 97% vanadium recovery in reduced leach time - Kalkine Media

Highlights

• Latest test work has improved vanadium extraction from Victory Bore magnetite concentrate to 97% after 24 hours using SRN’s breakthrough pre-treatment and leach process.
• The development confirms that the metallurgical conditions do not require roasting and high pressure of the pre-treated magnetite.
• No longer requirement of roasting is significant for future processing while also reducing carbon footprint, OPEX and CAPEX.
• The company intends to protect the process by a provisional patent application, wholly owned by Surefire.

Surefire Resources NL (ASX: SRN) has shared further laboratory test work results for extracting vanadium and other metals directly from magnetite concentrate at its Western Australia-based Victory Bore Vanadium Project.

The test work employed the company’s breakthrough pre-treatment and leach process.

Significant improvement in vanadium extraction

The second phase of test work was carried out on the same sample material which was used in the initial test work.

The follow up test work has demonstrated significant improvement in vanadium recovery to 97% after 24 hours using the breakthrough pre-treatment and leach process on pre-treated magnetite concentrate (PTMC).

The previous test work achieved vanadium extraction of 91% and titanium extraction of 88% after a leach time of 96 hours.

The improved result was achieved through further optimising the leach and pre-leach conditions, which form part of the proprietary nature of the process.

The process did not require heat treatment or roasting.

The titanium recovery in the follow up testwork was 27%. The company expects that further leaching time would result in 98% titanium extraction.

What’s ahead?

More test work will be undertaken in the further stages leading to a pilot plant testing. The fact that the roasting for the concentrate is not required, holds significant importance for future processing implications. Eliminating the need for roasting implies that a kiln, used in traditional vanadium extraction methods, becomes unnecessary. This would lead to a substantial decline in or zero carbon footprint along with much lower CAPEX. Moreover, it would reduce operating costs, given that the power required for operating tradition kiln will not be required.

The company plans to continue with assessment of benefits of using this method for the downstream process flow sheet with potential decrease in operating and capital costs. Moreover, it would also examine the possibility to licence the process for use on other vanadium resources.

Data source: company update

SRN shares traded at AU$0.011 apiece on 8 February2024.