FYI Resources Ltd (ASX:FYI) has fielded requests for larger quantities of high purity alumina (HPA) material for additional product qualification following its delivery of low deleterious HPA samples to customers in February.
Production of this additional sample material to meet the specific requirements of each interested party for second stage qualification trials is underway and FYI expects to deliver these larger samples in July 2020.
The requested HPA is being generated from FYI’s bespoke designed and constructed pilot plant facility in Welshpool, Western Australia.
Potential “long-term supply”
Managing director Roland Hill said feedback from initial testing of the company’s HPA had been positive and the requests for larger quantities further validated the quality of FYI’s product.
“The requests are really encouraging as the larger samples will allow these potential customers to finalise their qualification assessments.
“We have developed a product with high-purity, high-grade to a 4N level and low deleterious quality and we expect this additional testing by customers will lead to long-term supply agreements for our product.
“The demand is strong from interested parties, particularly in Europe and East Asia, so we are now busy preparing these larger quantity samples for their assessment and will continue to liaise with these companies as they undertake more detailed analysis.”
Material will be similar in nature and consistent with the previous trial samples delivered in stage one.
Product qualification is expected to expedite long-term supply agreements for FYI’s HPA product.
Compelling critical mineral project
FYI is developing a compelling critical mineral project being the integrated mining of its Cadoux kaolin deposit northeast of Perth and refining of HPA at a site in Kwinana, in Perth’s south.
HPA is demonstrated to be crucial in the production of premium lithium-ion batteries for heavy-duty, high safety requirement batteries as well as in broader applications such as LED substrates, phosphors and scratch-resistant glass for use in smartphones, computer screens etc.
In March 2020, FYI published its definitive feasibility study (DFS) which outlined not only outstanding economic metrics for the HPA project but also highlighted the detailed and robust technical development of the process design and engineering required to achieve and produce the high purity HPA product.
