Beneficiated DSO Scenario - Thompson Bros, page-22

Maybe NVA could contact

Nemaska

(NMX) in Quebec Canada about the sorting of ore, seeing they had trials done. From their tech report - Aug 09/19

Two (2) technologies were targeted for sorting trials: surface

color differentiation sorting technology and X-ray transmission (“XRT”). XRT uses atomic density

difference separation technology.

Below the best results of the two (2) size fractions are discussed.

a. Ore Sorting on - 40 mm + 20 mm, Amphibole Removal

Using XRT, the accepted material white rocks recovery was 95.8%, with white rock at 98.7%

concentration. The photo in Figure 13.1 illustrates the visual results. There is very little

displaced material in the accepted stream.

Ore Sorting on - 20 mm + 9.5 mm, Amphibole Removal

Using XRT, the accepted material white rocks recovery was 96.8%, with white rock at 99.2%

concentration.

Steinert US was approached to test Nemaska Whabouchi ore with sensor-based sorting techniques

to beneficiate/upgrade the ore by removing waste rock consisting mainly of amphibolite. The test

sample provided consisted of pegmatite and dark amphibolite waste rocks.

The objective was test sorting efficiency of Steinert ore sorting equipment. The sorting sensor

selected was X-Ray Transmission or XRT. X-ray sensitive line-scan sensor provides high resolution

X-ray absorption images. An X-ray scintillation crystal sensor can capture up to 2,500 lines per

second.

Nemaska had prepared two (2) tonnes of sample. The sample was screened at 10 mm to remove

the fines which is not suitable for this sorting application. The first set of three tests were performed

on - 50mm + 15mm material. This size range is good ore sorter feed material, about ratio 1:3 sorting

size. The next three (3) tests were done on - 15mm + 10mm material. Finally, the last three (3) tests

were done on - 50 + 10mm size range, outside the ideal size ratio.

a. Ore Sorting on - 50 mm + 15 mm

The coarse sample - 50 mm + 15 mm yielded excellent results. Test #1 yielded the best result

at 99.4% separation efficiency of the white ore and was separated from the dark amphibolite.

The photos in Figure 13.2, illustrate the visual results. There is very little misplaced material

in the accepted and rejected streams.

b. Ore Sorting on - 15 mm + 10 mm

The finer sample - 15 mm + 10 mm was processed through the same equipment and also

produced very good results, but noticeably less than the coarse separation. The best

separation efficiency obtained was 96.7%.

c. Ore Sorting on - 50 mm + 10 mm

For the combined sample - 50 mm + 10 mm, the best separation efficiency obtained was

94.5%.....Just a thought..