Defense Metals Corp. and SRC Investigate XRT Ammenability of Wicheeda Rare Earth Element Mineralization
source：PRNewswire
VANCOUVER, BC, Jan. 13, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Defense Metals Corp. ('Defense Metals' or the 'Company') (TSXV: DEFN) (OTCQB: DFMTF) (FSE: 35D) is pleased to announce that it has commissioned the Saskatchewan Research Council ('SRC') to complete an X-Ray Transmission ('XRT') sorting amenability study with respect to mineralized feed sourced from its 1,708 hectare (4,220 acre) Wicheeda Rare Earth Element (REE) Property ('Wicheeda') located close to existing infrastructure near Prince George, British Columbia (BC).
Defense Metals and SRC have been awarded National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP) funding, a Government of Canada funded program mandated to provide financial support for technology innovation. Funding awarded under the NRC IRAP will cover approximately 70% of the estimated cost of the XRT amenability study test-work.
The Wicheeda project has indicated mineral resources of 4,890,000 tonnes averaging 3.02% LREO (Light Rare Earth Elements) and inferred mineral resources of 12,100,000 tonnes averaging 2.90% LREO1. Flotation pilot-plant processing of a 26-tonne bulk sample of Wicheeda REE material yielded a mineral concentrate averaging 7.4% NdPr oxide (neodymium-praseodymium) critical magnet metals2.
The objective of the SRC amenability study is to investigate XRT sorting for the purpose of upgrading Wicheeda REE mineralization prior to downstream processing. Sensor based sorting has several advantages when applied to REE mining projects in that beneficiation occurs without water and with reduced grinding requirements. The investigation will assess how much gangue can be removed from the head feed. The investigation will then carry out an iterative study of different sorting sizes to process in the XRT sorter assessing both the grade of the upgraded concentrate and the grade of the waste for economic studies whereby the optimum operational parameters can be determined.
XRT sorting has the potential to realize several significant project benefits including:
Relatively low-cost gangue (unmineralized waste) removal and volume reduction at the front-end of the Wicheeda REE processing stream;
Potential to have a significant positive benefit on downstream flotation and hydrometallurgical processes via reduced water, heating, and reagent consumption costs; and
Depending on the success of the test-work these reductions may contribute to overall lower size / throughput and capital cost of potential future commercial REE concentration and refining facilities at Wicheeda.
Craig Taylor, CEO comments:
'Defense Metals looks forward to investigating the potential of low-cost front-end upgrading of Wicheeda REE mineralization via XRT sorting. We have already demonstrated the ability to produce a greater than 50% REO concentrate during flotation pilot plant test-work and we hope unlocking the benefits of XRT sorting will yield downstream processing benefits of increased head grade, flotation concentrate, and hydrometallurgical feed streams'.
Details of XRT Study Methodology
X-ray Transmission (XRT) Analysis:
The XRT investigation requires the selection of large samples containing both gangue and REE mineralization for analysis. The samples are analysed using:
Dual energy X-ray transmission measurements (DE-CT), and
QEMSCAN for calibration and mineral identification and modal mineralogy.
Photographs of the polished QEMSCAN samples are used to verify the atomic differences measured by DE-CT. The modal mineralogy is used to determine REE grades.
Image Analysis:
The DE-CT images are analyzed using different sized grids to determine how much gangue can be removed for a range of particle sizes. This process determines the upgrading possibilities for different sorting sizes, the grade of the concentrate and the grade of the waste.
Wicheeda REE Project
The Wicheeda REE project has indicated mineral resources of 4,890,000 tonnes averaging 3.02% LREO (Light Rare Earth Elements) and inferred mineral resources of 12,100,000 tonnes averaging 2.90% LREO3.
Qualified Person
The scientific and technical information contained in this news release as it relates to the Wicheeda REE Property has been reviewed and approved by Kristopher J. Raffle, P.Geo. (BC) Principal and Consultant of APEX Geoscience Ltd. of Edmonton, AB, a director of Defense Metals and a 'Qualified Person' as defined in National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.