RE: smith doesn't matter Looks like Peter Smith's Fancamp has developed their own CTL-proces for their Magpie-deposit?? Read their NR :
https://www.marketwire.com/press-release/fancamp-announces-positive-pilot-test-results-production-synthetic-rutile-concentrate-tsx-venture-fnc-1767593.htm
Fancamp Announces Positive Pilot Test Results for the Production of Synthetic Rutile Concentrate from the Magpie Iron-Titanium-Vanadium-Chromium Project
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - March 13, 2013) - Fancamp Exploration Ltd. (TSX VENTURE:FNC) ("Fancamp" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that its 46.7% owned Magpie Mines Inc., has successfully completed the Phase 2 Hydrometallurgical Pilot Plant Tests (the "Metallurgical Tests") conducted at SGS Lakefield Research Limited ("SGS Lakefield") on mineralized material from the Magpie Iron-Titanium-Vanadium-Chromium Project ("Magpie").
The Metallurgical Tests achieved their primary objectives by producing a high-grade synthetic rutile (titanium dioxide) concentrate, which has the potential to be used for both titanium pigment and metal producers, and also confirming that the previous process test results achieved at the bench scale were well reproduced at the pilot plant scale.
The Phase 1 Hydrometallurgical Bench Scale Tests (refer to the Company news release dated August 2, 2011) of the proprietary process was carried out by COREM in Quebec City, and indicated a 94.8% concentrate of titanium dioxide (TiO2) with leaching recovery of 88.5%.
The Metallurgical Tests conducted by SGS Lakefield included bench-scale and pilot-plant testing to fine-tune and further improve the results of Phase 1. The objectives were successfully reached, resulting in a major improvement in the process by following one step leaching (instead of two-step leach in Phase 1), yet attaining superior results in terms of recovery (over 90%) and purity (about 96%) of the TiO2 product using an integrated leaching and TiO2 hydrolysis circuit that continuously operated for about 100 hours during the week of December 3 to December 7, 2012.
These tests confirmed the new process conditions in a continuous operation; producing and assuring the quality of the filtrate to be used for future works, such as in the Vanadium and Chromium separation tests, and Fe(2) oxidation/Fe(3) hydrolysis tests, and reproducing test results achieved at bench scale. Pilot tests resulted in 95.8% concentrate of titanium dioxide (TiO2) with leaching recovery of 98.5%, which far exceeds initial bench scale test results.
Dr. Fathi Habashi, PhD, Professor Emeritus of Extractive Metallurgy (Laval University, Quebec) and a project consultant, stated, "The heart of this new proprietary process is its simplicity and flexibility. Simplicity in terms of one-step leaching then hydrolysis and achieving high grade TiO2product without involving any additional and energy-consuming (oxidation/reduction) steps to treat the iron, and flexible because synthetic rutile has the advantage of being the raw material for pigment as well for metal production. In addition, the process proved successful for low grade (10% to 12%TiO2) ore, and can be applied with advantage to higher grade TiO2 ores or concentrates."