Amazon Mining Holding has filed a patent application in the UK for the production of conventional potash product, muriate of potash (KCl) and sulphate of potash (SOP) from verdete slate of the Cerrado Verde Project. The technology was developed by Dr. Derek Fray, Professor and Director of Research at the University of Cambridge. The Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy, sponsored by Amazon has invented a method for reacting verdete slate with a simple mixture of salts to form water-soluble potash. The reactions occur at moderate temperatures of 800-1,000oC and most reagents are regenerated in process. The route allows for the production of potassium sulphate (SOP) and muriate of potash (KCl). The company’s primary focus and immediate goal remains the development of its Cerrado Verde potash property and bringing its ThermoPotash fertiliser product into production.
Amazon continues, in parallel, to develop a method for producing a conventional potash export commodity. The next step in the KCl and SOP product development process will be to initiate studies for a pilot plant. The current processing concept is simple and straight-forward and the company believes it can be scaled up to industrial levels.
Amazon Mining is a mineral exploration and development company founded and led by Brazilians since 2005. It is focused on the development of the Cerrado Verde project. Cerrado Verde is source of a potash rich rock from which Amazon plans to produce a slow-release, non-chloride, multi-nutrient, fertiliser product. Amazon Mining is a UK public company with shares listed on the TSX Venture Exchange since November 2007.