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Highlights:
- Promising Titanium and Iron Recoveries: Empire Metals achieved 80% titanium and 92% iron recoveries from Pitfield’s anatase-rich samples.
- Enhanced Mineral Purity: High rejection rates for aluminium and silica improve the quality of the titanium concentrate.
- Next Phase of Test Work: Future testing will focus on refining the separation of titanium and iron oxides for high-grade TiO2 production.
Empire Metals Ltd (LSE:EEE) has reported promising results from metallurgical tests on titanium-rich samples from its Pitfield project in Western Australia, advancing its goal of producing a high-purity titanium concentrate. Initial gravity testing on anatase-rich weathered samples yielded high recovery rates, with 80% for titanium and 92% for iron, and significant reduction in unwanted aluminium and silica minerals.
Empire’s findings indicate that the high-purity anatase mineralization, which was first identified within the near-surface, strongly weathered “saprolite” cap zones, extends to depths of approximately 60 meters, double the previous estimate. This expanded depth provides greater potential for resource extraction and highlights the project’s long-term prospects.
In addition to gravity testing, preliminary froth flotation tests on weathered samples show positive results. Rougher tests produced a concentrate containing 78% of TiO₂-bearing minerals with a grade of 8.8% TiO₂. These results support the viability of a dual approach, combining gravity and flotation techniques for optimal titanium recovery. Empire Metals sees significant potential in this approach, allowing for initial production of a heavy mineral concentrate followed by advanced separation stages to refine the titanium minerals into a high-grade, high-purity concentrate.
The company is now developing a processing flowsheet to continue testing and refining the process, with plans to advance through the first half of 2025. Empire is also considering a cost-effective option for a continuous pilot plant facility using the abundant anatase mineralization in the project’s weathered cap.
Managing Director Shaun Bunn commented on the test results: "The test work showed a clear visual distinction between products on the table, with dark, heavy minerals separating from lighter gangue materials. The results confirm high recovery rates for titanium and iron and effective rejection of aluminium and silica."
The next phase of testing will leverage samples from recent drilling at Pitfield, with a focus on refining the separation of iron oxide from titanium and titanium-iron oxide minerals, aiming to produce a high-grade TiO₂ concentrate. Recent drilling also revealed that high-grade TiO₂ mineralization is present from surface to a depth of around 60 meters, with extensive high-grade zones identified at the Cosgrove and Thomas prospects.
With these advances, Empire Metals continues to progress its plans at Pitfield, where the titanium-rich saprolite zone offers a robust basis for scalable extraction and refining operations, supporting the company’s future growth in titanium mineral production.
