TECHNOLOGICAL STUDIES

  • TECHNICAL MINERAL RESOURCES EVALUATION REPORT ON THE MORRO DO FERRO PROJECT -REE DEPOSIT IN POCOS DE CALDAS – BRAZIL (Batelochi, M.; Figueiredo, A.M., (2012))
  • LEACHING OF REE FROM BRAZILIAN SAMPLES (Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry-University of Toronto – (Moldoveanu, G. & Papangelakis, 2012))
  • MINERALOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF SAMPLES FROM HOLES MFSR 04, 10 AND 33 – QUANTIFICATION AND LOCATION OF LANTANIDE CATIONS IN SAMPLES (DEMETZ. G., USP RIBEIRÃO PRETO, PARCIAL REPORT, 2012)
  • CHARACTERIZATION OF MINERALIZATIONS ON THE MORRO DO FERRO RARE EARTHS PROJECT – POÇOS DE CALDAS – MG (Santos Lima, P. A., 2013)
  • STUDIES OF NEW TECHNOLOGY TO PRODUCE RARE EARTH CONCENTRATE FROM MORRO DO FERRO REE DEPOSIT LOCATED IN MINAS GERAIS, BRAZIL (CW CONSULTORIA QUIMICA E AMBIENTAL LTDA – Cunha, W. & Waldhagen, G. – 2014).
  • TECHNOLOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF A RARE EARTH MINERALIZED SAMPLE – MORRO DO FERRO PROJECT – (Khan, H. coordinator, Tassinari, M.M., Antoniassi, J;L – LCT Poli/USP, 2015)
  • A SCOPING LEVEL BENEFICIATION FLOWSHEET DEVELOPMENT TEST PROGRAM TO EXTRACT REE FROM THE MORRO DO FERRO REE DEPOSIT IN BRAZIL – FINAL REPORT (SGS Canada Inc. 2017).
  • A SCOPING LEVEL HYDROMETALLURGICAL FLOWSHEET DEVELOPMENT TEST PROGRAM TO EXTRACT REE FROM THE MORRO DO FERRO REE DEPOSIT IN BRAZIL – FINAL REPORT (SGS Canada Inc. 2017).
  • TECHNICAL REPORT ON THE MINERAL RESOURCE ESTIMATE FOR THE MORRO DO FERRO RARE EARTH ELEMENT PROJECT, POÇOS DE CALDAS AREA, MINAS GERAIS STATE, BRAZIL (NI 43-101 REPORT, ROSCOE & POSTLE ASSOCIATES, 2017)
  • RESOURCES REASSESSMENT REPORT-MANIFESTO 1081/47 RARE EARTHS IN POÇOS DE CALDAS – MG (FILED IN DNPM) (Veiga, T. 2017)

SGS CONCEPTUAL HYDROMETALLURGICAL SCOPING STUDY

  • The conceptual hydrometallurgical flowsheet developed by SGS consists of a two-stage sulphuric acid bake / water leaching. Hydrometallurgical testing was conducted on a master composite of ground whole ore (100% passing 75 μm) containing 4.2% rare earth elements (REE).
  • Impurity elements were removed (Thorium, Aluminum, and Iron).
  • An intermediate 49% rare earth carbonate product is precipitated after impurity removal.
  • The calculated final REE oxide grade was 97.0%.
  • Off-gas from the baking system is captured and used to re-manufacture most of the sulphuric acid added.
  • A series of tests demonstrated that some uranium remained in solution after the Impurity Removal process and can be removed using a simple ion exchange (IX) loading process.
  • The impurity removal process will produce a filter cake that will need disposal. The cake will contain about 1.3% thorium, 16.7% aluminum, 2.2% iron, 5.8% calcium, and 0.3% REE. These values can be compared to the assays for the metallurgical test, indicating the possibility to dispose the cake back to the open pit.
  • Recovery in the hydrometallurgical scoping tests:
    • Neodymium – 87.6%
    • Praseodymium – 87.3%
    • Dysprosium – 85.3%
    • Terbium – 85.9%