Queensland Pacific Metals

First 4N HPA Production for QPM from New Caledonian Ore

Queensland Pacific Metals Ltd (ASX:QPM) (“QPM” or “the Company”) is pleased to announce that lab scale testwork undertaken by Lava Blue has successfully produced 4N High Purity Alumina (“HPA”) from aluminium hydroxide feedstock produced by QPM as part of its piloting of the DNi ProcessTM on New Caledonian ore. The purity of the HPA was 99.996%.


Highlights

  • Lab scale testwork undertaken by Lava Blue successfully produces 99.996% HPA from aluminium hydroxide feedstock produced by QPM in its pilotplant.
  • This represents the first major milestone in the QPM – Lava Blue working relationship post execution of the HPA license heads of agreement.
  • Successful HPA production provides QPM with the confidence to proceed with further testwork and the HPA section of the Defintive Feasibility Study for the TECHProject.

In December 2021, QPM executed a License Heads of Agreement with Lava Blue regarding the use of its proprietary HPA technology for the TECH Project. One of the key early workstreams in this partnership was the successful production of HPA from QPM’s aluminium hydroxide feedstock. The success of this testwork provides QPM with the confidence to commence the next phase of testwork and to finalise the appointment of Stantec (formerly known as Engenium), Lava Blue’s preferred engineering consultant, to undertake the HPA refinery section of the TECH Project Definitive Feasibility Study (“DFS”) in conjunction with Hatch (QPM’s engineering partner).

Testwork

QPM’s pilot plant operation produced intermediate aluminium hydroxide from New Caledonian ore. Previous testwork undertaken by QPM was successful in producing high purity aluminium chloride, the final precursor to HPA. Aluminium chloride produced by QPM was sent to Lava Blue for testwork at its Queensland University of Technology (“QUT”) laboratory.

Lava Blue’s work program was to:

  • Confirm that 4N HPA could be successfully produced from QPM’s aluminium chloride precursor by assaying impurities;
  • Produce 4N HPA from the aluminium chloride.

Lava Blue’s testwork confirmed that QPM’s aluminium chloride was very pure. From the assay results of QPM’s aluminium chloride, Lava Blue projected HPA purity to be in the range of 99.995 – 99.998%, giving it confidence to proceed with the second part of the work program.

Click here for the full ASX Release

This article includes content from Queensland Pacific Metals, licensed for the purpose of publishing on Investing News Australia. This article does not constitute financial product advice. It is your responsibility to perform proper due diligence before acting upon any information provided here. Please refer to our full disclaimer here.

QPM:AU
The Conversation (0)
Element 25 Limited

Element 25 Signs US$85M Supply Deal with GM for Manganese Sulphate

Element 25 (ASX:E25) has signed a deal with General Motors (NYSE:GM) to supply the car manufacturer 32,500 tonnes of manganese sulphate annually, according to a news report by Reuters.

Keep reading...Show less
FPX Nickel (TSXV:FPX)

FPX Nickel Completes Production Run of Battery-Grade Nickel Sulphate to Support Discussions with Prospective EV Battery Supply Chain Partners

FPX Nickel Corp. (TSXV: FPX) (OTCQB: FPOCF) ("FPX" or the "Company") is pleased to announce successful production of additional battery-grade nickel sulphate from its Baptiste Nickel Project ("Baptiste" or the "Project"). Building on the success of previous testing campaigns, a production run was completed to produce larger quantities of nickel sulphate crystals. The nickel sulphate samples, which meet the strict target specifications for battery applications, will be provided to selected prospective downstream partners including pCAM producers, battery companies, and automakers pursuing supply security, traceable sourcing, and low carbon intensity production.

"The production of high-purity nickel sulphate further positions us to engage in strategic discussions with prospective downstream partners across the global EV supply chain," commented Martin Turenne, FPX Nickel's President and Director. "This milestone further demonstrates the strategic flexibility of the Baptiste awaruite concentrate and the technical maturity of the awaruite refining process."

Keep reading...Show less
Nickel bars in front of a world map.

Top 9 Nickel-producing Countries

The top nickel producing countries list has been shaken in recent years by Indonesia's rapid rise to the top, beating the Philippines and New Caledonia.

Demand for nickel is mounting. Stainless steel accounts for the vast majority of nickel demand, but electric vehicle (EV) batteries represent a growing application for the base metal as the shift toward a greener future gains steam.

But while nickel's long-term outlook appears bright, it may face headwinds in the short term. Nickel prices have been trending down since breaking US$20,000 per metric ton in May 2024 as weak usage coincides with strong output from top producer Indonesia.

Keep reading...Show less
Ni-Co Energy

Ni-Co Energy Set to Mobilize Critical Minerals Exploration just 90 km from Montreal

Ni-Co Energy Inc. announces that its technical team will be mobilized to the Kremer property around mid-June 2025. The project is located approximately 90 km north of downtown Montreal and about 15 km from the nearest municipality, in a remote forested area with access via an existing road and close proximity to the hydroelectric grid.

Meet The Team:

Keep reading...Show less
FPX Nickel (TSXV:FPX)

FPX Nickel


Keep reading...Show less

Latest Press Releases

Related News

×