Australia Minerals and Mining Group (AMMG) has successfully produced over 99.9% (3N) of high purity alumina (HPA) using its own unique aluminous clay (kaolin) to alumina processing technology.
Using samples from all four of AMMG’s South West HPA projects in Western Australia, the material presented appropriated clean sources of aluminous clay for HPA production using AMMG’s process.
Consulting processing chemists, TSW Analytical, independently verified the purity of the Company’s HPA, which was greater than 99.9% (3N+), and after a simple ‘washing’ process, is expected to reach a purity of 99.99% (4N).
TSW were engaged in mid-2012 to determine the lowest energy intensive and most efficient acid-based process for the production of HPA from the Company’s aluminous clay material.
Following the laboratory testing conducted by TSW, which produced the >99.9% HPA, they produced a complete flow sheet for the conversion process, which details the extraction of alumina specifically based on the mineralogy of AMMG’s aluminous clay material.
AMMG Managing Director, Ric Dawson, said “Our unique technology varies from other aluminous clay to alumina technologies in that it uses substantially less energy; the process uses low temperatures and pressures.
"This innovative processing technology produces minimal waste and the key reagents are recyclable, therefore, the efficiencies are high.”
“The successful testing should now build on the level of interest the Company has received to date”, he said. “HPA is a premium high-value product that is used in high-performance electronic applications, such as tablet screens and LED’s,” he added.
The South West HPA Project
AMMG’s 100% owned South West HPA Project (held by its wholly owned subsidiary Kaolin Resources) is made up of one granted exploration licence and nine applications, targeting aluminous clay in the south west of Western Australia and in the Yilgarn mineral belt: Meckering, Kerrigan, Kellerberrin and Bobalong.
{^image|(width)300|(height)265|(url)~/getmedia/ddfa37ea-2954-4a1e-9674-f1f1771b9a6b/AMMG2.aspx?width=300&height=265|(hspace)10|(originalwidth)620|(align)left|(behavior)hover|(originalheight)548|(sizetourl)True|(alt)Tenement locations of AMMG’s South West Alumina Projects.|(mouseoverheight)548|(mouseoverwidth)620|(vspace)5|(ext).jpg^}[Pictured alongside: Tenement locations of AMMG’s South West Alumina Projects.]
The Yilgarn Craton, which hosts the company’s aluminous clay projects, is one of the oldest weathered cratons on earth.
The weathered granites have left the residual kaolin so that the deposits are ‘primary’ or ‘in situ’ in nature, as opposed to those that are secondary in nature where the kaolin has been transported by water and then deposited in narrow deposits or lenses at the bottom of ancient lakes and rivers.
The ancient weathering process has also resulted in extremely low levels of impurities (such as iron and titanium); the kaolin is whitish in colour extending from surface to a depth of 42 metres.
Global JORC resource
The Company has delineated two separate resources on its Meckering and Kerrigan aluminous clay projects, totalling 150 million tonnes (Mt) with screened grades of up to 38% alumina, and an exploration target ranging from 485Mt to 830Mt.
The resource is made up of 85Mt (inferred) at the Kerrigan project and 65Mt (16.77Mt indicated and 48.28Mt inferred) at the Meckering project.
The Company is currently planning the next phase of exploration in order to increase this resource.