Gold
The gold grades are exceptional. I wouldn't be surprised of gold go ahead before vanadium, given those grades.
Vanadium
Before I yabber, Va has a specific gravity of 6.1, Titanium 4.5, Fe greater than 5% depending what type
https://www.reade.com/reade-resourc...vity-table-metals-minerals-ceramics-substance
Understanding specific gravity allows you to understand what the various separation processes seek to do in the process flowsheet.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravity_separation
I think a key to getting to 99.5% firstly is based on rejecting ROM feed at 0.5mm grain size, presumably as this might create the problem around impurity/getting the initial (gravity) separators to work properly thus restricting the impurities down the chain so that greater than 99.5% can be achieved (I called it step 4 below). Heat also a key to facilitate ion exchange in a gravity separation process as well. I think the large start up proposed - a doubling - from previous 2012 scoping might have to do with the ROM feed required - size cut off - as well as the importance of economies of scale.
Looking at the process flow sheets, I think what they are saying is that they will install an initial upfront gravity type separation process/heating/ion exchange process in separate steps to initially take out titanium and a lot of the impurities. Heating to greater than 90 degrees also a key there, as is the leaching process. Will be interesting how the process works overall at a scale level and whether a smaller scale facility (pilot) will be built to test the process before up scaling it to mining speecications - appears quite unique and capital/cost intensive process and very different to the traditional vanadium recovery processes (with traditional processes been roasting based). The leaching process appears to be capital intensive so will be interesting how the PFS stacks up, but looks positive on a conceptual basis, especially if costs can be reduced through recovery of titanium and Fe (which in effect would act as credits in lowering opex costs (assuming both elements are profitable). That is the titanium credits a key here IMO.
At the top of the process - step 1 of the process in the flow chart - the actual main game there is to extract the titanium so that it goes through its own separate process flow sheet within the overall process after a certain point - been the second separator process on the flow sheet (I'll call this Stage 1). The second main game in Step 1 is to quickly get rid of waste. A key to Step 1 though is the initial acid leaching method (4 hours at 90 degrees) that forms the basis of your first solid/liquid separation, with solid going to residual.
The liquor that contains the vanadium - i.e. what doesn't end up in step 1 in the titanium stage goes down a separate process and again you have various stages of separation (gravity separators/ion exchange beds I presume) to initially extract non-vanadium minerals like Fe. The initial key point is the introduction of pH and temp greater than 70 degrees that allows the significant stripping out of the majority of the non-vanadium minerals (lets call this step 2) through separation. What is left - the non-vanadium minerals keep going down that side of the flow sheet - they then use caustic soda and another separation process (presume possibly with another ion exchange process again to remove Fe and other minerals - step 3).
The remaining solution not extracted by step 3 and containing the vanadium, requires adding pH/another batch of a hydrocholoroc acid (presume at a slow heat) to extract the vanadium to your 99.5% level and above. By the time get to this step 4 the probability of getting beyond 99.5% is assured IMO assuming the process flow sheet works as intended given the waste, Fe, other minerals and titanium have been removed prior to step 4, assuming the step 1 - step 3 processes do what they are intended to do.
Seems a lot of 'separator' processes in the process flow sheet, which is probably indicative of the complexity of stripping out the various minerals at each step (and obviously getting them into a saleable process) from using a leaching process as the basis for vanadium recovery (as against roasting). I presume leaching is used given the grade of ore (compared to grade of ore required in a roasting process). Just wondering how many ion exchange beds are inbuilt in the seperators and what resins are been used to separate the ions (at the heating points as well).
A key is KRC feel the deposit is homogenous, hence the process flow sheet once adopted and proved would not need to be refined as different areas of the deposit (ROM) are inputted into the process. Hence the importance of the term homogenous in the announcement. Fundamental concept if proved will aid viability here.
The process flow sheet is interesting in itself looking at all the stages, where separation processes are adopted (I need to familiarise myself with what resins might be used in the separation process of this type but obviously a chemical/process engineer would be better placed to expand here as I am basing my view on how I understand the process itself from research etc, not an application of the process btw). Seems using different technology so that is the key compared to the traditional way vanadium is produced (roasting).
Anyway, anyone interested might want to read some of the articles in this google search, and obviously it would be interesting what others might say who understand the chemical process here.
https://www.google.com/search?clien...14...0i22i30k1j33i21k1j33i160k1.0.dzB6GCtnzSI
Not a holder, just interested observer. Might take a punt here as well. Posted this more for an interest sake in researching an applying knowledge to the Anns of today.
Must say your BOD seems to be very proactive, which is a ver very very good thing.
All the best to you all.
All IMO
(20min delay)