Defense Metals Corp. (TSX-V:DEFN / OTCQB:DFMTF / FSE:35D) announced today an additional update with respect to flotation pilot plant processing of its Wicheeda Rare Earth Element (REE) Property bulk sample at the SGS Canada Inc. Lakefield, ON metallurgical test facility.
The Wicheeda project has indicated mineral resources of 4,890,000 tonnes averaging 3.02% LREO (Light Rare Earth Elements), and inferred mineral resources of 12,100,000 tonnes averaging 2.90% LREO [1].
To date a total of 20 pilot plant processing runs have been completed since initiation of pilot plant testwork on June 11, 2020. The entirety of the Wicheeda bulk sample has now been processed through the pilot plant. Mass balance assay results for an additional five (5) pilot plant runs completed since the previous news release dated August 4, 2020 are presented below (
Table 1). Highlights of the recently completed bulk sample flotation pilot plant are:
- 26 tonnes bulk sample feed processed over 178 hours of operation
- Approximately 1,200 kg of high-grade REE flotation concentrate produced (dry weight at ~15% moisture content)
- Process run concentrate gradesranging from 45.4% up to 56.7% (averaging 51.6%)LREO (light rare earth oxide expressed as the sum of light rare earth elements expressed as oxides Ce2O3+La2O3+Nd2O3+Pr2O3)
- Process recovery ranging from 53.8% up to 81.5% (averaging 72.4%) LREO
- Low average 6.4% mass yield to concentrate
Scaled-up flotation pilot plant results to date compare very favourably, and with respect to concentrated grade exceed, benchmark locked-cycle flotation tests that produced a high grade 48.7% LREO flotation concentrate at 85.7% LREO recovery (
See Defense Metals News Release dated October 23, 2019). The results demonstrate progressive LREO recovery improvement with successive tests conducted under varying process conditions designed to improve the circuit stability and metallurgical performance.
The final 5 (five) pilot plant runs, each having a duration of approximately 12 hours of continuous operation, included three tests (PP-15C, PP-16A, and PP-16C) conducted at reduced conditioning temperature. The results of these lower operating temperature tests returned comparable concentrate grade and recoveries to earlier higher temperature tests. Defense Metals believe the results are significant in that they demonstrate opportunities for potential future process-cost savings due to reduced energy input requirements.
Craig Taylor, CEO of Defense Metals, stated;
“With the processing of the remaining bulk sample feed now complete we continue to be extremely pleased with the results, which we believe demonstrate the viability of large-scale bulk sample flotation processing of Wicheeda REE Deposit material. We now look forward to beginning the data analysis phase of the work that will in part examine opportunities for further improvement of the already very successful Wicheeda metallurgical flowsheet. We expect to release the final results and a summary of all the testwork in the coming months.”
Figure 1: Wicheeda REE Deposit Flotation Pilot Plant Mass Balance Results
About the Wicheeda REE Property
The 1,708 hectare Wicheeda REE Property, located approximately 80 km northeast of the city of Prince George, British Columbia, is readily accessible by all-weather gravel roads and is nearby to infrastructure, including power transmission lines, the CN railway and major highways.
Geologically, the property is situated in the Foreland Belt and within the Rocky Mountain Trench, a major continental geologic feature. The Foreland Belt contains part of a large alkaline igneous province, stretching from the Canadian Cordillera to the southwestern United States, which includes several carbonatite and alkaline intrusive complexes hosting the Aley (niobium), Rock Canyon (REE), and Wicheeda (REE) deposits.
Qualified Person
The scientific and technical information contained in this news release as it relates to the Wicheeda REE Property has been reviewed and approved by Kristopher J. Raffle, P.Geo. (BC) Principal and Consultant of APEX Geoscience Ltd. of Edmonton, AB, a director of Defense Metals and a “Qualified Person” as defined in National Instrument 43-101 –
Standards of Disclosurefor Mineral Projects. Mr. Raffle verified the data disclosed which includes a review of the analytical and test data underlying the information and opinions contained therein.
Methodology and QA/QC
The Wicheeda flotation test charges were prepared by SGS from the 30 tonne Wicheeda sample which was crushed to nominal 12.7 mm (1/2”) using a combination of jaw and cone crushers. The crushed material was homogenized using a front-end loader over a period of several hours.
Head grade, and concentrate products for cerium, lanthanum, neodymium and praseodymium oxides were determined via lithium-borate fusion of a 0.5 gram sample analyzed via wavelength dispersion X-ray fluorescence (WD-XRF).
The SGS analysis included a quality assurance / quality control (QA/QC) program including the insertion of rare earth element standard and blank samples. Defense Metals detected no significant QA/QC issues during review of the data. Defense Metals is not aware of any sampling, recovery or other factors that could materially affect the accuracy or reliability of the data referred to herein. SGS Minerals Lakefield is an ISO/IEC 17025 and ISO9001:2015 accredited. SGS is independent of Defense Metals Corp.
About Defense Metals Corp.
Defense Metals Corp. is a mineral exploration company focused on the acquisition of mineral deposits containing metals and elements commonly used in the electric power market, military, national security and the production of “GREEN” energy technologies, such as, high strength alloys and rare earth magnets. Defense Metals has an option to acquire 100% of the 1,708 hectare Wicheeda Rare Earth Element Property located near Prince George, British Columbia, Canada. Defense Metals Corp. trades in Canada under the symbol “DEFN” on the TSX Venture Exchange, in the United States, under “DFMTF” on the OTCQB and in Germany on the Frankfurt Exchange under “35D”.
About SGS
SGS is the world’s leading inspection, verification, testing and certification company. We are recognized as the global benchmark for quality and integrity. With more than 94,000 employees, we operate a network of more than 2,600 offices and laboratories around the world.
https://defensemetals.com/
For further information, please contact:
Todd Hanas, Bluesky Corporate Communications Ltd.
Vice President, Investor Relations
Tel: (778) 994 8072
Email: todd@blueskycorp.ca
[1] Technical Report on the Wicheeda Property, British Columbia, effective June 27, 2020 and prepared by APEX Geoscience Ltd. (Steven J. Nicholls, B.A. Sc., MAIG and Kristopher J. Raffle, B.Sc., P.Geo) is available under Defense Metals Corp.’s profile on SEDAR (www.sedar.com)
FULL DISCLOSURE; Defense Metals Corp. is a paid client of Stockhouse Publishing.