LITHIUM GRAPHITE REEs target the graphite composites for further recovery.”
Glencore Technology works with third party providers who undertake small scale Jameson Cell testwork, and review the metallurgical results and make recommendations for full scale cells and flowsheets for graphite projects.
ANZAPLAN has announced the completion of expandable graphite tests on flake concentrate from the Mahenge deposit for Australian-based Black Rock Mining Ltd. Expandable graphite is made by intercalating graphite flake crystals, then heating them to force apart graphene layers into an expanded form. It is then rolled into continuous sheets or rolls, which have excellent electrical conductivity and thermal dissipation characteristics. Graphite concentrates will be sent to end-users for assessment.
Southern Africa hosts the biggest reserves and resources of high-quality and large flake graphite and has therefore attracted many junior miners recognizing the rise in demand for battery materials. ANZAPLAN has been appointed to conduct physical and chemical processing test work on two highly prospective graphite projects in southern Africa including chemical purification and test work evaluating the suitability of the material with regard to spherical and expandable graphite production. ANZAPLAN’ s test work will evaluate if marketable graphite products can be achieved from the resource representing an important milestone in project development and on the way to production.
REE supply chain research
In 2014, IMC joined a $ 1.2 million REE supplychain development program, which was led by Technology Metals Research, LLC( TMR) and funded by the US Army Research Laboratory( ARL), part of the US Department of Defense. The Principal Investigator of the program was Gareth Hatch, President of IMC and Co-Founder of TMR. The program enabled IMC to construct and to operate a lab-scale pilot plant, with 130 mixersettler units for conventional SX of REEs, focused on the much sought-after heavy REEs. hosted at the facilities of Process Research Ortech Inc.( PRO) in Mississauga, Ontario. The pilot plant was also used to validate computer modelling tools for the simulation of REE SX circuits.
IMC and PRO tested the process flow diagrams produced by their consultants, successfully running the sequence of SX circuits required to produce separated heavy REE compounds, with purities of 99-99.99 %+ total REEs.
In 2015, IMC began work to improve the conventional SX process, through its participation in a $ 1.7 million second phase of the ARL-funded development program. The company evaluated a number of avenues before focusing on a column-based approach, dubbed the RapidSX™ process. Starting initially at the bench scale, the RapidSX approach was benchmarked against the conventional SX process previously tested by IMC and PRO. With similar flow rates, the system saw a reduction in the number of required processing steps by over 85 % and a reduced time to equilibrium by over 85 %. The system was used to successfully produce key REEs from both Chinese and non- Chinese-originated concentrates, with commercial-grade purities.
In early 2016, work began on a 10-column pilot-scale RapidSX system, capable of producing up to 2 t of REEs per month. The system was used to separate REEs from non-Chinese concentrates, with purities obtained of 99.5- 99.97 % total REEs. At the same time, the process of patenting the RapidSX approach was initiated. Work was also initiated to test the RapidSX process on concentrates of nickel and cobalt produced from lateritic ores, again with great success.
Following the initial success of the scaled RapidSX-based system, IMC is now in the process of completing its REE-separation pilot-scale work, and developing plans for a commercialscale demonstration facility, for the cost-effective production of a range of separated REEs via the RapidSX process. Based in North America and capable of producing up to 2,500 t / y of separated REEs, IMC estimates that this facility would cost in the region of $ 10-15 million to build – a fraction of the cost that a conventional SX facility would require. REEs would be produced in the demonstration facility on a purchasedconcentrate or toll-treatment basis.
The company says it continues to work with future REE producers on the development of the RapidSX program, and seeks additional strategic and financial partners to help make the
In early 2016, work began on a 10-column pilotscale RapidSX system, capable of producing up to 2 t of REEs per month
demonstration facility a reality.“ Given the anticipated small plant footprint and low capital costs, IMC is also in discussions with a number of future REE producers, on the potential for placing RapidSX-based separation facilities on the same site as their proposed upstream hydrometallurgical plants. This will allow future producers to cost effectively integrate the processes for the production and separation of REE concentrates, improving the overall margins associated with the production of commercialgrade REE products and compounds.”
In August 2016, IMC announced the successful completion of a demonstration program to produce commercial-grade Pr-Nd oxide, using feedstock from the Mineração Serra Verde( MSV) deposit in Goias State, Brazil.“ We were pleased to work with MSV to demonstrate the effectiveness of the RapidSX process on Serra Verde REE concentrates,” commented Hatch.“ Combining the time-proven chemistry of SX with IMC’ s proprietary column-based approach, avoids the risks associated with novelty separation approaches that require expensive resins and other complex methods, not yet demonstrated at scale.”
“ As we aim to be a reliable and costcompetitive supplier of high-quality REE concentrates to the international market, we are assessing the various well-established and developing separation technologies,” said Luciano Borges, Serra Verde’ s CEO.“ The positive results obtained through IMC’ s innovative technology are an important confirmation of the commercial potential and versatility of the product we intend to offer in late 2018.” IM
JANUARY 2017 | International Mining 57