I've spent much time tring to find an extraction for
nickel silicate.
They do exist.... but, this junior has spent years working on
sulphide extraction. What's the obvious ...? Find a sulphide extraction solution - that accommodates silicates at same time
or separate silicate circuit.
Unlocking silicates = adds mega metal tonnage. I was quite excited reading this research paper.
In short - they used fluorite - only 5% by volume - and with rapid results the
magnesium leached from the silicate crystal structure.
Magnesium + Silicate = serpentine crystal structure.
Fluorite breaks this crystal structure releasing the magnesium.
The crystal structure changes to - amophorus.
What elese resides in a serpentine crystal structure ?
= Nickel.
If the fluorite breaks the crystal structure down liberating 87% Mg
it would also liberate the nickel too - right ?
Hopefully the junior reads the bullboards...
This fluroite compliments the sulphide extraction.
They even mention, potential leaching of fluroite and - reuse.
Sulphide ores are great.
But unlocking Wellgreen's silicate nickel = could add significant tonnage
to resources with the need to drill more.
Drill more or.... try 5% Fluorite ? The junior who trys this first and if successful,
would surely capture the market's interest.
Hey... i may point out a few rough edges about the junior i've invested in
but it will always include solutions to make it all the better.
I wouldn't be invested in the wellgreen project if i didn't like it
I would love to see the wellgreen ranked superior over other peer projects.
Factor every mineral, have best extraction, take the lead into new energy sectors.
Excerpt - This indicates that the change in the crystal structure of serpentine from crystalline to amorphous might be due to the local structural disorder around silicon and magnesium [36]. Obviously, the release of a large amount of Mg in serpentine could inevitably breakdown the original crystal structure, and this hypothesis was supported by the formation of amorphous silica. A cost-effective approach to recycle serpentine tailings: Destruction of stable layered structure and solvent displacement crystallization
Link - .
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2095268622000295 Wellgreen reseach paper - significant nickel in silicates https://www.researchgate.net/publication/250273497_Platinum-group_minerals_from_the_Wellgreen_Ni-Cu-PGE_deposit_Yukon_Canada Capture an extra 10% Ni from silicates
486 mil tonnes
x 0.10 % ?
= 486,000 tonnes
= 1,069,200,000 billion pounds
Could a sm drill campaign achieve this ?
Never.
Which is why it's cheap to improve extraction than drill.
Extraction Recovery increases are more advantageous. Cheers...