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- Australian Mines (AUZ) receives encouraging results from a study investigating a deep eutectic solvents (DES) leaching technology to extract metals from ore
- Clean tech company Descycle used a range of DES formulations on two ore types with results including leaching rates as high as 100 per cent cobalt, 97 per cent nickel and 94 per cent scandium
- The point of the study was to find an effective alternative to existing treatment and recovery processes when extracting metals from nickel and cobalt lateritic ores
- Australian Mines will now move to the next step of its commercialising strategy which is a pre-feasibility study, followed by pilot design and the construction of a pilot plant
- AUZ shares have been trading down 2.94 per cent at 16.5 cents
Australian Mines (AUZ) has reported encouraging results from a proof-of-concept study which investigated an innovative and environmentally benign processing technology for the extraction of nickel, cobalt and scandium from lateritic ores at its Queensland and New South Wales projects.
The study, carried out by UK-based clean tech company Descycle, investigated a non-high pressure acid leach (HPAL) processing technology for the extraction of the metals at its Bell Creek–Minnamoolka (Qld) and Flemington (NSW) projects.
The stage one study incorporated a deep eutectic solvents (DES) leaching technology as an alternative to existing treatment and recovery processes.
According to the companies, the DES technology is more cost effective than other processes, has environmental benefits such as being biodegradable, and non-aqueous, with the potential for reduced water usage, and low emissions, and it has high recovery rates of nickel, scandium and cobalt.
During the study, a variety of operational conditions were explored using a range of DES formulations and tested on two different ore types. The formulations were then compared against aqueous acid mixtures that are commonly associated with laterite leaching.
Positively, the study results highlighted the potential to economically process two low-grade oxide nickel laterites and other metal laterites and the recovery of by-products, including cobalt and scandium from Sconi and Flemington ores.
Leaching rates from the Sconi and Flemington ores tested were as high as 100 per cent cobalt, 97 per cent nickel, and 94 per cent scandium.
Australian Mines Managing Director Benjamin Bell said the results are very encouraging and have the potential to add significant value to the company’s projects.
Descycle Chief Technical Officer Dr Rob Harris said: “The results highlight a real potential game-changing technology in the form of DES, for the recovery of critical metals such as nickel and cobalt from low grade lateritic ores.”
Following the results, AUZ is initiating the next step of its commercialising strategy which is a pre-feasibility study over the next three to six months. The third and fourth stages will include full feasibility work and pilot design and then the construction and operation of a pilot plant.
