Ah, no problem on the TREO vs HREO mishap - the language does...

Ah, no problem on the TREO vs HREO mishap - the language does get a bit all over the place!

Firstly, IAC's and other companies were brought up on this thread by others not me.
Secondly, as for 'why i keep banging on about it', Well, the discussion and queries i'm being asked to respond is around HREO separation and namely it's viability.

Given that IAC's do currently supply 95% of HREO globally, one might think it is prudent to the discussion to understand why in fact that is the case and therefore the why around hard-rock projects globally (not just bayan obo) but all the hard rock project globally producing a SEG/HRE by-product did not/have not done this earlier.

If you think Bayan Obo has no relevance then use mountain pass https://www.saimm.co.za/Journal/v122n07p407.pdf who also produce a SEG product.
The recoveries of the heavies prior to that are irrelevant as it's a by-product If the recoveries are sheeet then one would simply end up with 500T of seg instead of 1000T. That of course is less SEG to begin with an decreases revenue for the company, but when simply viewing the economics of the sep facility, has naught relevance to how economic it is to separate downstream. What is important is the 'make-up' and composition of that product/s and then where they go and how they are economically/viably separated.

What do i mean? The MP SEG oxalate was around 25-45% TREO (btw) selling around $25usd/kg according to MP but long term pricing flagged at $7.5usd/kg, which is fairly consistent for an HREO biased oxalate at that concentrate grade. (Worth noting as you elude to that the Dy,Tb content is important. Again not as a head grade, as a grade to which it exists within the SEG. They reference 4% being a cut-off.) Noting that they reference the other sources from the IAC in the form of a MHREE carbonate. ~8% Dy/Tb (FYi). Good link here for more info on that and all things SEG re MP. (400 page doc) https://minedocs.com/22/MP_Materials-F-10K-12312021.pdf

To your last point, if not answer above or in Post #:65086504 and Post #:65076901, are around the degrees of economic feasibility of a HREO separation facility, purportedly primarily utilising a (high grade) LREO MREC by-product (SEG). When you consider that the common feed-stock for HREO facilities is a 95%+ concentrate grade (no cracking required) with a ~40% HREO content. They are 2 very different products.

I've been unable to find many details on the constituents of the LYC's SEG and the composition to which is exist in. Noting that this is referring the whole HRE basket and not the typical nomenclature (Samarium-Europium-Gadolinium = SEG) Aside from that it's around 5% of annual output in tonnes. I believe the extraction liquids are neutralized with magnesium oxide for SEG and HRE chloride solution and precipitated with sodium carbonate solution or precipitated. I mean it's a 'finished' product but haven't come across the composition, grade, final state etc sometimes referred to as a carbonate

Someone's buying it right so hence my comment that it is a viable feed source. My curiosity is in 'how' are 'they' (the current buyers) achieving that. Are they throwing it into a stand-alone HREO sep facility. Is it secondary source being 'blended' in with other much higher grade HREO feed source. Not being facetious - i genuinely don't know. LYC have stated third party feed sources as well in their ambitions.

"LAMP produces a higher purity HRE MREC product called SEG, that will be used as feedstock for the downstream HRE processing plant. Essentially it’s a by product of LRE production, which makes the HRE separation plant economics much more attractive."

Couple of queries on this comment (as it seems you may have answers) and if there's a document/study to review (like the MP one) feel free to share as probably answers a lot of gaps. I've only been able to locate tonnages and construction documents.

What is the purity of the HRE MREC by-product (SEG) as the proposed head grade feedstock?
Third party feed sources are flagged, what are these and how much will they be as % of the feedstock? (typically sep facilities are bespoke to feed source.)
'Economics much more attractive' - what are the baseline economics? I haven't seen a feasibility study for the HRE sep facility?

If the discussion is nonconstructive feel free to inbox me directly on twitter and can de-clog the threads here.

SF2TH