Ardea Resources Ltd: Goongarrie Pilot Plant Trial Produces Battery Grade Crystals
Perth, Australia - Ardea Resources (ASX:ARL) (OTCMKTS:ARRRF) is pleased to announce that it has taken a major step forward in the development of the Goongarrie Nickel Cobalt Project with the pilot plant trial producing crystalline battery-grade nickel and cobalt sulphate.- Ardea pilot plant testing has successfully produced nickel and cobalt sulphate crystals
- Crystals meet specifications of several battery industry off-takers
- Marketing samples can now be evaluated by off-takers and battery end-users
The successful test is significant as nickel and cobalt sulphates are key ingredients in the manufacture of lithium-ion batteries but not all orebodies are amenable to producing the quality required.
Ardea Executive Chair Katina Law described the event as a significant milestone.
"The pilot plant trial has demonstrated that a high-quality product can be produced from the ore at Goongarrie and this will be critical during our current search for a strategic partner and potential off-takers. The samples we have produced will now be sent to interested parties for evaluation."
The Ardea pilot plant testing utilised the refined Goongarrie flowsheet which is an optimised version of the PFS flowsheet. Piloting has produced crystals that meet the strict specifications of several potential off-takers including trading houses and electric car manufacturers.
Pilot Plant Trial Overview
The pilot plant run was completed in two stages. In the first stage, continuous piloting produced a Mixed Sulphide Product (MSP). Leaching extractions for nickel and cobalt for Goongarrie goethite ore exceeded 95% in continuous piloting, using the refined Goongarrie flowsheet.
In the second stage, which was completed at SGS in Perth, the MSP was refined using pressure oxidation, neutralisation, solvent extraction and ion exchange to produce battery grade crystals.
The pilot plant testing forms part of the Definitive Feasibility Study programs that are currently underway following the release of the positive Pre-Feasibility Study results in March 2018 (see ASX announcement 28 March 2018).
To view figures, please visit:
http://abnnewswire.net/lnk/QG68X09I
About Ardea Resources Ltd:
Ardea Resources Ltd. (ASX:ARL) (OTCMKTS:ARRRF) (FRA:A91) is an Australian resources company which owns 100% of the Kalgoorlie Nickel Project (KNP), a globally significant series of nickel-cobalt laterite deposits which host the largest cobalt resource in the developed world. Ardea is focused on the development of the Goongarrie Nickel Cobalt Project (GNCP) within the KNP, 80km north of Kalgoorlie WA. Ardea has completed a Prefeasibility Study for a 1Mpta and 1.5Mtpa case on the GNCP and also a scoping study for a 2.25Mtpa case. Ardea is currently working with KPMG Australia Corporate Finance to secure a Strategic Partner to jointly develop the GNCP. Ardea also owns an extensive portfolio of projects in Western Australia and New South Wales which are highly prospective for gold, nickel sulphide and zinc.
Source:
Ardea Resources Ltd.
Contact:
Ardea Resources Ltd.: Ms Katina Law Executive Chair Tel: +61-8-6244-5136
