Mining News: News Nuggets: Ucore’s new REE plant slated for early 2016

Ucore Rare Metals Inc. Nov. 16 provided an update on the design and construction of the SuperLig 1 rare earth separation pilot plant. “This is a significant pilot plant, with a total capital outlay in excess of US$3 million and a footprint anticipated to occupy the approximate space of a few tractor trailers,” explained Ucore President and CEO Jim McKenzie. The initial purpose of the plant is to confirm the effectiveness of molecular recognition technology in the separation of rare earth elements at bulk scale. The MRT process is a proprietary rare earths and specialty metals separation method that utilizes specialty materials that bind selectively with ions based on multiple parameters such as size, chemistry, and geometry. “SuperLig®1 will be the first of its kind, as an MRT plant dedicated to the separation and refining of REE’s and associated valuable metals. The facility will be fully modular in design, with the ability to install larger or smaller columns and customized SuperLig® substrate as required, depending on the skew and the quantity of the feedstock being tested,” McKenzie explained. The initial test run of the pilot plant will utilize a bulk mixed concentrate derived from Ucore’s Bokan-Dotson Ridge deposit in Southeast Alaska. This work will take place in two stages. The initial phase will target the separation of the critical heavy rare earths – dysprosium, terbium and europium. After that, testing will aim to establish the plant’s ability to separate an additional eight REEs. Ucore said other select rare earths for which there is a limited market will be separated on a pilot scale at a future date if deemed appropriate. It is expected that the plant will operate at a flow rate in the range of 160 liters of pregnant leach solution per day, capable of generating multiple kilograms of rare earth carbonates per week based on Bokan feedstock. As part of the modular design, the SuperLig pilot plant will be reconfigurable and upgradeable, with the capability of accepting a wide range of feedstock from alternate sources, and of expanding the initial flow rate. Following the initial testing, the plant will be utilized to confirm the effectiveness of SuperLig technology in separating REE’s from a variety of feedstock sources in North America and beyond. Ucore COO Ken Collison said the plant will be able to process material from multiple types of REE mineralization as well as tailings. “Our overriding objective is to offer a flexible platform for the handling of mixed concentrates from multiple points of origin, running successive batch processes quickly and efficiently, and reconfiguring for new input product with minimal turnaround,” he explained. “What’s more, the plant will be capable of refining non-REE metals as required, including PGMs (platinum group metals), scandium and numerous other specialty metals.” SuperLig 1 is being designed and built at IBC Advanced Technologies Inc.’s research and development facilities in Utah. Ucore said long-lead time chemical compounds have been ordered and the manufacture of SuperLig resins for use in the plant has begun. Initial testing of the completed pilot plant is anticipated to take place in early 2016.

- Shane Lasley