First Phosphate Recovers 91.4% Of Apatite In Metallurgy Tests, Produces 40.2% P2O5 Concentrate
Early metallurgy results are in for First Phosphate (CSE: PHOS) in conjunction with an ongoing preliminary economic assessment being conducted on the firms flagship Lac a l’Orignal property, found in the Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean region of Quebec.
Testwork conducted on mineralization sourced from the Lac a l’Orignal property has demonstrated that the current flowsheet is capable of recovering 91.4% of the apatite, resulting in a concentrate consisting of 40.2% P2O5. The results are based on batch and locked cycle testing.
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“We are pleased with the results of our high purity apatite recovery which has the potential to allow us to create a large amount of purified phosphoric acid for the production of LFP batteries,” stated company President Peter Kent.
Testing was conducted on 75 fluoroapatite half drill cores from the property, with the composite sample having a head grade of 5.55% P2O5. Testing focused on recovering and upgrading the apatite to produce high grade concentrate feed that would be suitable for phosphoric acid production, with the end goal of that phosphoric acid being its use in the production of LFP cathode active material.
The metallurgical testing was also able to develop an ilmenite concentrate of 39.3% TiO2, and a magnetite concentrate of 69.0% Fe. Further testing is said to be recommended for the ilmenite circuit to further optimize results.
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“Our secondary recovery of ilmenite is equally important in that its upgrading may allow us to create the iron sulphate required as another important ingredient in the production of LFP batteries. The magnetite remains a potential tertiary recovery of value. We are now able to proceed towards a beneficiation pilot plant ahead of schedule,” continued Kent.
First Phosphate last traded at $0.80 on the CSE.
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