Australian resource development company Metallica Minerals Limited (ASX:MLM), is pleased to announce the successful completion of the first phase of its pilot metallurgical test program, focussed on extracting scandium from its high-grade NORNICO scandium ore.
One of the more valuable of the 17 rare earth elements, scandium occurs at very high levels in the shallow Lucknow and Kokomo nickel-cobalt deposits within Metallica’s 100% owned NORNICO nickel-cobalt & scandium project, located 2.5 hours drive northwest of Townsville, North Queensland.
A large sample of representative high grade scandium ore sourced from the Lucknow deposit was sent to SGS Lakefield Oretest (Perth, Western Australia). This scandium-rich ore was processed through a High Pressure Acid leach (HPAL) pilot plant for a continuous 10-day period. In total, 4,400kg of scandium ore at an average feedgrade of 276g/t Sc (scandium), 0.36% Ni (nickel), and 0.07% Co (cobalt) was leached using the proven HPAL processing method over the campaign. Scandium extraction of 85% was achieved, contained in approximately 15,000 litres of pregnant leach solution (PLS).
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