LME Week 2024: Copper Highlighted as 'High Prospect'

Highlights

Profitable Pilot-Scale Testwork: Steady pilot-scale testing of all leaching unit operations confirmed the refinery flowsheet and generated the anticipated low-impurity leach resolution for downstream purification and crystallization testwork
Flowsheet Optimization: Testwork has led to flowsheet enchancment via the elimination of unit operations within the leaching space that proved redundant throughout steady, steady-state piloting
Manufacturing of Battery-Grade Nickel Sulphate: Bench-scale testing of resolution purification and crystallization unit operations additional exhibit FPX Nickel’s capacity to supply battery-grade nickel sulphate crystals from Baptiste’s awaruite focus

“The outcomes of our hydrometallurgy refinery pilot plant testwork verify the technical benefits of awaruite nickel mineralization to supply battery-grade nickel sulphate, additional demonstrating the chance to develop a extra streamlined nickel provide chain completely in Canada ,” commented Andrew Osterloh , FPX Nickel’s Senior Vice-President, Tasks & Operations. “Baptiste would symbolize an nearly 50% enhance to Canada’s present annual nickel manufacturing, all with out including to or displacing any of Canada’s nickel smelting or complicated refinery capability, thereby pioneering a uniquely low-cost, low-carbon hyperlink between mining and EV battery manufacturing. The outcomes from our pilot plant testwork are at the moment being included into our Awaruite Refinery Scoping Research, which is able to include an in depth analysis of capital, working prices and the general economics of the awaruite refinery; the Research stays on monitor for completion within the first quarter of 2025.”

Background

As reported within the Firm’s information launch dated April 30, 2024 , FPX operated a mineral processing pilot plant earlier this 12 months and efficiently generated awaruite focus to feed a downstream hydrometallurgical refining pilot plant (the ” 2024 Hydromet Program “). FPX re-engaged Sherritt Applied sciences Ltd. to conduct the 2024 Hydromet Program, constructing on Sherritt’s profitable completion of the earlier bench-scale hydrometallurgical testwork in 2023 (the ” 2023 Hydromet Program “, described within the Firm’s Might 17, 2023 information launch).

Constructing on the 2023 Hydromet Program, the 2024 Hydromet Program aimed to additional exhibit the viability of FPX’s refinery flowsheet below pilot-scale and steady working situations. Moreover, the 2024 Hydromet Program additionally aimed to validate the brand new ammonia-based purification flowsheet, as mentioned within the Firm’s information launch dated September 16, 2024 .

Hydrometallurgical Refinery Pilot Plant

The 2024 Hydromet Program was performed in two phases. Section 1 consisted of steady, pilot-scale processing of all unit operations within the leaching space as outlined in Determine 2. Section 2 consisted of batch, bench-scale processing of all unit operations within the purification and crystallization space. A portion of leach resolution produced throughout Section 1 has been reserved for future steady, pilot-scale processing of the purification and crystallization space, making certain the ultimate refinery technique is supported by purification and crystallization necessities outlined in collaboration with FPX Nickel’s downstream companions.

Leaching Space

Steady, pilot-scale leaching ran for 5 days and was fed with the high-grade (60% Ni) awaruite focus produced through the earlier mineral processing pilot plant. The flowsheet configuration and working situations have been the identical because the 2023 Hydromet Program, with strain leaching performed at a reasonable temperature (150°C) and strain (750 kPag). The important thing efficiency metrics established at the beginning of the pilot plant marketing campaign have been to acquire excessive general nickel and cobalt leach extractions whereas producing a ultimate leach resolution with excessive nickel and low impurity concentrations.

These key efficiency metrics are summarized in Desk 1, which additionally presents the premise of the earlier financial research (see the Firm’s information launch dated September 6, 2023 ). Within the strain leach, glorious nickel and cobalt general leach extractions have been achieved at 99.3% and 97.9%, respectively. These excessive extractions embrace the unoptimized start-up interval, highlighting the robustness of the leach system.

Within the atmospheric leach (which makes use of awaruite to neutralize and purify the strain leach resolution), glorious impurity elimination was achieved, together with the near-complete elimination of iron, aluminum, chromium and copper. The ultimate leach resolution contained larger than 100 g/L nickel, which could be very excessive by business requirements and can cut back the capital and working prices for downstream purification and crystallization unit operations. The impurity parts of zinc, manganese, and calcium are all low as a result of inherent low focus of those impurities in Baptiste’s awaruite focus.

Desk 1 – Leaching space key efficiency metrics achieved throughout piloting

	Pilot Plant Outcomes	Earlier Research Foundation
General Leach Extractions
Nickel (%)	99.3	99.3
Cobalt (%)	97.9	99.5
Last Leach Answer Composition
pH	5.5	>4.5
Nickel (g/L)	104	95
Cobalt (g/L)	2.1	1.5
Magnesium (g/L)	1.6	1.5
Iron (g/L)
Aluminium (g/L)
Chromium (g/L)
Copper (g/L)
Zinc (g/L)	0.01
Manganese (g/L)	0.01
Calcium (g/L)	0.01

Along with the core leaching operations, the leaching space additionally consists of two smaller circuits to handle build-up of sure hint parts, together with copper elimination and aluminum/chromium elimination. The copper elimination circuit, which removes copper by a cementation course of, was efficiently operated throughout piloting. Aluminum and chromium have been each proven to deport with strain leach residue, supporting the deletion of this slipstream elimination circuit, thereby simplifying the general leach flowsheet.

Moreover, solid-liquid separation characterization testing was accomplished on each strain leach and atmospheric leach residues, with cheap settling and filtration charges noticed for each. These outcomes will inform dewatering gear sizing and specs within the ongoing Awaruite Refinery Scoping Research.

Purification and Crystallization

A portion of the majority resolution generated from the leaching space pilot was processed in bench-scale batch testing via cobalt solvent extraction, nickel solvent extraction, and nickel sulphate crystallization. This purification scheme is less complicated relative to that required to course of different nickel intermediates reminiscent of MHP and MSP, with this simplicity made attainable by the low impurities contained in, and the neutralization properties of, the awaruite focus.

With a view to validate the brand new purification flowsheet developed throughout Refinery Worth Engineering research (see the Firm’s information launch dated September 16, 2024 ), solvent extraction operations utilized ammonia because the neutralizing reagent (slightly than caustic, which was used within the 2023 Hydromet Program). Together with decrease working prices, the change to an ammonia-based flowsheet permits for the manufacturing of an ammonium sulphate byproduct, a useful fertilizer product, as a substitute of the earlier sodium sulphate waste product. The brand new ammonia-based purification unit operations achieved related profitable efficiency and outcomes as these achieved through the 2023 Hydromet Program, with the produced crystals (see Determine 1 and Desk 2) persevering with to satisfy the strict goal specs for battery functions.

Desk 2 – Baptiste Nickel Sulphate Crystal High quality vs. Goal Specification

Ingredient	Items	Nickel Sulphate Crystals
Ingredient	Items	Baptiste Testwork	Goal Specification ¹
Nickel	wt%	>22	>22
Aluminum	ppm
Arsenic	ppm
Calcium	ppm
Cadmium	ppm
Cobalt	ppm	1
Chromium	ppm
Copper	ppm
Iron	ppm
Potassium	ppm
Magnesium	ppm	3
Manganese	ppm
Sodium	ppm
Lead	ppm
Silicon	ppm
Zinc	ppm	3

Be aware 1: Based mostly on evaluation of industrially accessible merchandise and battery producers’ necessities

Path Ahead

With the completion of the hydrometallurgical testwork reported herein, the Firm has accomplished all testing related to the CMRDD funding offered by NRCan. Refinery testing outcomes are being included into the continuing Awaruite Refinery Scoping Research, the outcomes of which can be accessible within the first quarter of 2025.

Certified Particular person

The metallurgical data on this information launch has been ready in accordance with Canadian regulatory necessities set out in Nationwide Instrument 43-101: Requirements of Disclosures for Minerals Tasks of the Canadian Securities Directors (” NI 43-101 “). Testwork was supervised, reviewed, and verified by Kyle D. Marte , P.Eng., FPX Nickel’s Principal Metallurgist and a “Certified Particular person” as outlined by NI 43-101.

Concerning the Baptiste Nickel Mission

The Firm’s Baptiste Nickel Mission represents a large-scale greenfield discovery of nickel mineralization within the type of a sulphur-free, nickel-iron mineral referred to as awaruite (Ni ₃ Fe) hosted in an ultramafic/ophiolite complicated. The Baptiste mineral claims cowl an space of 408 km ² , west of Center River and north of Trembleur Lake, in central British Columbia. Along with the Baptiste Deposit itself, awaruite mineralization has been confirmed via drilling at a number of goal areas inside the identical claims bundle, most notably on the Van Goal which is situated 6 km to the north of the Baptiste Deposit. Since 2010, roughly US $30 million has been spent on the exploration and growth of Baptiste.

The Baptiste deposit is situated inside the territories, keyohs, and consultative boundaries of the Tl’azt’en Nation, Binche Whut’enne, Yekooche First Nation, and Takla Nation .

About FPX Nickel Corp.

FPX Nickel Corp. is concentrated on the exploration and growth of the Decar Nickel District, situated in central British Columbia , and different occurrences of the identical distinctive fashion of naturally occurring nickel-iron alloy mineralization referred to as awaruite. For extra data, please view the Firm’s web site at https://fpxnickel.com/ or contact Martin Turenne , President and CEO, at (604) 681-8600 or ceo@fpxnickel.com .

On behalf of FPX Nickel Corp.

“Martin Turenne”
Martin Turenne , President, CEO and Director

Ahead-Wanting Statements

Sure of the statements made and data contained herein is taken into account “forward-looking data” inside the that means of relevant Canadian securities legal guidelines. These statements handle future occasions and situations and so contain inherent dangers and uncertainties, as disclosed within the Firm’s periodic filings with Canadian securities regulators. Precise outcomes might differ from these at the moment projected. The Firm doesn’t assume the duty to replace any forward-looking assertion.

Neither the TSX Enterprise Change nor its Regulation Companies Supplier accepts accountability for the adequacy or accuracy of this launch.

SOURCE FPX Nickel Corp.