Geomega Resources Inc. (GéoMégA) is getting support for the development of its proprietary separation process of rare earth elements (REE) to maximise the value from its Montviel REE and niobium project. To this end, the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP) is providing up to C$200,000 to Innord Inc over a period of two years to develop a process to separate the mixed REE concentrate into pure individual rare earth oxides. The separation process is the final stage in producing pure individual rare earth oxides that follows a metallurgical process to extract the REE and niobium from the ore and produce a mixed REE concentrate and niobium oxide that was already developed by GéoMégA.
That was reported in May when GéoMégA announced the metallurgical performances of the preliminary economic assessment process flowsheet for Montviel. The process flowsheet starts with a flotation stage, developed by Natural Resources Canada’s CanmetMINING in Ottawa, and follows with an innovative assembly of mature technologies generating synergy effects. The hydrometallurgical section was conceived and fully developed by the GéoMégA team at the company’s laboratory facility in National Research Council Canada (NRC) in Boucherville, Québec.
“We developed an integrated hydrometallurgical process producing mixed REE concentrate and niobium oxide which is designed to operate with diminutive reagents, while minimising effluent discharge. Beyond REE and niobium recoveries, in situ acid and base production and regeneration in tandem with water recirculation in a plant powered exclusively by hydroelectricity are the hallmarks of this process.” commented Pouya Hajiani, Chief Technology Officer of GéoMégA.
Moving forward, based on electrophoresis technology, Innord’s proprietary separation process has the potential to significantly reduce the capital required to build REE separation facilities compared to conventional techniques (i.e. fractional precipitation, ion exchange and SX), optimise REE recovery and improve the environmental performance of operations. As pure individual rare earth oxides are essential to REE downstream processors and end users, a sustainable and competitive separation process is fundamental to developing a value added REE industry in Canada and Quebec.
“Demonstrating credibility in process innovation through a junior exploration vehicle required multiple meetings, laboratory installations visits and a thorough review of our 2014 separation results and proposed prototype development program. This non-dilutive financial support will help Innord develop its proprietary separation process through the advisory services and technological expertise provided by NRC-IRAP. After years of relentless hard work culminating in Montviel’s hydrometallurgical leap as announced in May 2015, we are excited to be able to refocus again on the separation business.” said Hajiani, inventor of the physical separation process. Additional funding from other key financial partners for the prototype, estimated at $1 million, is expected in the coming months.
GéoMégA transferred its proprietary separation process rights and laboratory equipment into Innord, a wholly owned private subsidiary. The goal of Innord is to optimise the value of the proprietary separation process by facilitating its development through direct investments of key financial partners. Innord holds all rights in the physical REE separation process based on electrophoresis. Electrophoresis is the migration of charged species (ions, proteins, particles) in solution in the presence of an electric field. Innord has filed patents in Canada and the US to protect its novel separation process and is looking to file in other jurisdictions.
GéoMégA’s Montviel project is located approximately 100 km north of Lebel-sur-Quévillon and 45 km west of the Cree First Nation of Waswanipi in the urbanised southern part of northern Quebec.
The final mineral resource estimate for the Montviel Core Zone at a base case cutoff grade of 1% TREO (Total Rare Earth Oxides) totals 183.9 Mt grading 1.45% TREO of Indicated resources and 66.7 Mt grading 1.46% TREO Inferred.