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GeoMegA has received a customized reactor at its NRC laboratory facility in Quebec. The reactor will enable bench-scale production of REE concentrate from ore from Montviel.
To be sure, the reactor has a capacity of just 1 kilogram per batch, and will produce just grams of REE concentrate per day. Still, it unlocks a key step in the production process, and will allow GeoMegA to firm up recovery numbers for larger-scale production. The reactor will increase throughput capacity by a factor of 20 and will reduce processing time for REE concentrate by a factor of five.
“With the reactor we are now almost fully autonomous to produce REE concentrate from Montviel ore in small quantities at our NRC laboratory facility,” said GeoMegA CEO Simon Britt in a statement. “The REE concentrate produced will solidify the REE recovery numbers and provide sufficient quantities for separation and quality certification testing.”
In addition to advancing its Montviel project, GeoMegA is working to develop a physical separation process for rare earths production. Last May, the company received conclusive benchmark test results confirming the viability of its process with concentrate purchased on the open market, and the company will now aim to test the process with concentrate from Montviel.
“Following the commencing of REE concentrate production from Montviel ore, our NRC laboratory facility will be exclusively dedicated to separation of various REE concentrates,” Britt said.
Kiril Mugerman, corporate development at GeoMegA, noted the importance of the company’s vertically integrated approach. “It just gives us more flexibility,” he said, pointing out that not having a proprietary separation process would require turning to a third party to get the job done.
As mentioned in a previous interview with Britt, GeoMegA is developing its physical separation process as a way of competing with solvent extraction methods, which are typically more expensive and difficult to undertake outside of China.
In terms of progress being made at Montviel, Mugerman stated that there have been “significant innovations” regarding the metallurgical flow sheet for the project. While he couldn’t confirm an exact time frame for the release of a preliminary economic assessment for Montviel, Mugerman seemed optimistic that the report will come in the near future.
At close of day, shares of GeoMegA were up 2.5 percent, trading at $0.205. The company’s stock has gained approximately 57 percent over the past year.
Securities Disclosure: I, Teresa Matich, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
Editorial Disclosure: GeoMegA Resources is a client of the Investing News Network. This article is not paid-for content.
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