The Elements of Innovation Discovered
The Elements of Innovation Discovered
Metal Tech News - June 29, 2023
Ucore's RapidSX demonstration plant in Ontario includes a parallel conventional solvent extraction pilot-scale plant to obtain comparative results between the two processes.
Heavy rare earths sample products that were separated from ionic clay sourced material during commissioning trials of Ucore Rare Metals' RapidSX demonstration plant.
Furthering its goal to demonstrate that its RapidSX technology can separate the entire suite of rare earth elements from a wide range of sources, Ucore Rare Metals Inc. has acquired a third mixed REE concentrate to process at its commercialization and demonstration facility in Kingston, Ontario.
"We believe that Ucore's Kingston, Ontario, Demo Plant is currently the largest heavy REE separation plant in North America," said Ucore Rare Metals COO Mike Schrider. "It is capable of processing tens of tonnes (metric tons) of light and heavy REEs utilizing the exact same equipment – and represents a unique technological advantage as North America endeavors to compete on the global stage to produce individual rare earth oxides required to support the growing EV industry."
The RapidSX technology being demonstrated at the Ontario plant is a 21st-century upgrade to the solvent extraction method that has been the standard for separating rare earths in China for more than four decades.
Independent testing has shown that the innovative column-based RapidSX platform can separate rare earths nearly 10 times faster within a footprint that is about one-third the size required for the mixer-settler units used for traditional SX separation.
The Ontario demonstration plant includes a RapidSX circuit and a parallel 52-stage conventional solvent extraction mixer-settler, pilot-scale plant to obtain direct comparative results between the two processes.
So far, Ucore has been testing the demonstration plant with two previously acquired feedstocks – a synthetic light mixed rare earth oxide blend modeled in a monazite source; and a heavy mixed rare earth oxide acquired from a U.S.-friendly ionic clay mineralization source.
The new material being tested is a light rare earths feedstock from an unnamed and uncharacterized source in the U.S.
Once the commissioning process is complete, Ucore will begin a US$4 million heavy REE demonstration and qualification program with the U.S. Department of Defense announced at the beginning of June.
The Pentagon-backed verification of RapidSX is considered by Ucore to be a significant stepping stone on the path to commercial deployment of the innovative rare earth separation technology at an industrial building the company recently secured in Alexandria, Louisiana.
"The underway commissioning process at the CDF is the single most significant leap in the development of the RapidSX™ technology platform and, once completed, will open the pathway to direct commercialization and monetization of Ucore's business model," said Schrider.
With more than 16 years of covering mining, Shane is renowned for his insights and and in-depth analysis of mining, mineral exploration and technology metals.
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