Venus Metals Corporation Ltd (ASX:VMC) has produced high-grade vanadium-enriched magnetic concentrate from 11 historical diamond drill core samples at its Youanmi Vanadium Project in Western Australia.
The metallurgical test work was conducted by METS Engineering Group and aimed to assess the response of the materials to conventional magnetic concentration methods used for similar vanadium deposits in WA.
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Both fresh and oxide core samples were tested, showing that the vanadium grade can be doubled by producing a magnetic concentrate.
Concentrate with grades averaging 1.40% vanadium were produced from fresh rock drill core assaying 0.71%, with grades up to 1.46%.
Oxidised drill core assaying 0.67% produced a concentrate with grades averaging 1.32%, and as high as 1.37%.
The test work also demonstrated rejection of deleterious elements and compounds for downstream processing, rejecting up to 98.6% silica, 99.0% calcium and 93.8% alumina.
Battery development opportunities
Venus Metals managing director Matthew Hogan said the results gave the company great confidence to advance its vanadium project.
“Being able to produce a high-grade vanadium concentrate of 1.40% vanadium oxide by a simple process is significant.
“The company is advancing discussions in relation to new process technologies for our concentrate which involve potentially fully integrated battery development opportunities.”
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The Youanmi vanadium deposit is around 42 kilometres southeast of the world-class Windimurra Vanadium mine and has access to major infrastructure such as a gas pipeline, roads and port facilities.
The deposit has an inferred resource of 167.7 million tonnes at 0.41% vanadium, 7.52% titanium and 24.6% iron, containing a vanadium pentoxide resource of 683,000 tonnes.
Venus Metals holds a 90% interest in the project and the remainder is held by the prospector.