22 June 2021
Vital Metals Limited (ASX: VML) (“Vital”, “Vital Metals” or “the Company”) is pleased to announce positive results from metallurgical testwork completed on samples from the Tardiff zone at Vital’s Nechalacho rare earths project in Canada.
Vital Metals’ Managing Director Geoff Atkins said the Tardiff metallurgical testwork demonstrated the potential to continue a similar process flowsheet in Stage 2, with the introduction of an additional beneficiation process due to the finer nature of rare earth mineralisation at Tardiff. “The testwork program achieved results which were better than expected and indicates that we will be able to utilise the same process from Stage 1 at Nechalacho in Stage 2, with the addition of an additional beneficiation step, such as a flotation plant. Achieving this will greatly reduce capital costs and risk,” he said.
“As expected, due to the finer grain sizes at Tardiff than at North T, the testwork has indicated that an additional process step, will likely be required to achieve the required feed grade into the kiln. Flotation showed great promise in terms of high REO grade, low mass pull and reasonable REO recovery.”
“The ability to utilise plant and equipment from the Stage 1 – North T operation in Stage 2 is critical to achieving our target of funding the development of the Tardiff Zone out of Stage 1 operating revenue.”