VANCOUVER, Oct. 24, 2019 /CNW/ - Defense Metals Corp.
("Defense Metals") (TSX-V:DEFN / OTCQB:DFMTF / FSE:35D) is
pleased to announce that it has received final metallurgical test
results for the Wicheeda Rare Earth Element Property
("Wicheeda") from SGS Canada Inc. ("SGS"). Results
from a total 40 batch flotation tests designed to produce an
optimized Wicheeda process flowsheet through iterative test
procedures with varying process conditions informed the final
Locked-Cycle Test ("LCT") that successfully produced
(Table 1):
- 48.7% total rare earth oxide (TREO) high grade concentrate of
cerium, lanthanum, neodymium, and praseodymium oxides
(Ce2O3+La2O3+Nd2O3+
Pr2O3)
- 85.7% TREO metallurgical recovery
- 10.1 times upgrading ratio from head grade of 4.81% TREO
- 8.2% concentrate mass yield
According to the SGS Executive Summary for the metallurgical
test results, "Excellent results were achieved through the
flotation process, including a high scale-up ratio, to a high-grade
concentrate at high recoveries. The downstream hydrometallurgical
process is expected to benefit significantly from this quality of
flotation concentrate grade" (See Table 2 provided by SGS).
Craig Taylor, CEO of Defense
Metals, stated; "With assays coming shortly from our 2019 drill
program and hydromet testing in progress 2020 will be a banner year
for Defense Metals."
With the conclusion of SGS flotation testwork Defense Metals has
achieved its initial goal of confirming the reproducibility of
previous 2011 metallurgical test work, and improving on those
results by targeting a >40% TREO concentrate grade and >80%
recovery. The Wicheeda testwork flowsheet evaluated
well-established direct froth flotation, which ultimately produced
strong rare earth mineral beneficiation performance, and there
remains very good potential to further simplify the flowsheet and
reduce operational cost with further optimization of grind size,
conditioning/flotation temperature and depressant dosage.
Table 1: Wicheeda Rare Earth Deposit Locked-Cycle Test
Results
Batch flotation testwork was designed to evaluate the 2011
flowsheet, to further optimize the final Wicheeda flowsheet towards
de-risking full-scale pilot plant processing of the entire 30 tonne
bulk sample. Batch tests successfully quantified the effects of
replacing analytical grade reagents with commercial reagents
(collector/activators), varying reagent dosage, flotation
kinematics, desliming methods, temperature, grind size, alternative
depressant, and water chemistry.
Optimum conditions developed in 2 kg batch flotation tests were
successfully scaled-up to generate 10 kg concentrate production
tests, where the best test (B19) produced a concentrate grading 52%
TREO with 78% TREO recovery.
In addition to flotation testwork, preliminary heavy liquid
separation (HLS) tests on stage-ground (-250 µm to +106
µm) coarse head material showed good potential for upgrading
REO by gravity separation with gravity concentrate grade of 46.9%
TREO and 84.8% TREO recovery.
These are commercial operations and the results of Defense
Metals' current results are from controlled lab testing and are not
comparable.
Table 2: Wicheeda Metallurgy Compared to Worldwide REE
Mines(1)(2)
1 Verbaan,
N., Bradley, K., Brown, N., and Mackie, S., 2015 A review of
hydrometallurgical flowsheets considered in current REE projects.
In: Simandl G.J. and Neetz, M. (Eds.). Symposium on Strategic and
Critical Materials Proceedings. November 13-14, 2015, Victoria,
British Columbia Ministry of Energy and Mines, British Columbia
Geological Survey Paper 2015-3, pp. 147-162.
|
2 These
are commercial operations and the results of Defense Metals'
current results are from controlled lab testing and are not
comparable.
|
About the Wicheeda REE Property
The 1,780 hectare Wicheeda REE Property, located approximately
80 km northeast of the city of Prince
George, British Columbia, is readily accessible by
all-weather gravel roads and is nearby to infrastructure, including
power transmission lines, the CN railway and major highways.
Geologically, the property is situated in the Foreland Belt and
within the Rocky Mountain Trench, a major continental geologic
feature. The Foreland Belt contains part of a large alkaline
igneous province, stretching from the Canadian Cordillera to the
southwestern United States, which
includes several carbonatite and alkaline intrusive complexes
hosting the Aley (niobium), Rock Canyon (REE), and Wicheeda (REE)
deposits.
The Wicheeda REE Property is underlain by Kechika Group
metasedimentary rocks that are intruded by the southeast-trending
Wicheeda carbonatite; a deformed plug or sill approximately 250
metres in diameter that hosts significant REE mineralization. This
intrusion comprises a ferroan dolomite carbonatite core, which
passes gradationally outward into calcite carbonatite. The REE
mineralization is primarily hosted by the dolomitic
carbonatite.
Qualified Person
The scientific and technical information contained in this news
release as it relates to the Wicheeda REE Property has been
reviewed and approved by Kristopher J. Raffle, P.Geo. (BC)
Principal and Consultant of APEX Geoscience Ltd. of Edmonton, AB, a director of Defense Metals and
a "Qualified Person" as defined in National Instrument 43-101 –
Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. Mr.
Raffle verified the data disclosed which includes a review of the
analytical and test data underlying the information and opinions
contained therein.
Methodology and QA/QC
The Wicheeda flotation test charges were prepared by SGS from
the 30 tonne Wicheeda sample which was crushed to nominal 12.7 mm
(1/2") using a combination of jaw and cone crushers. The
crushed material was homogenized using a front-end loader over a
period of several hours. Approximately 300 kg (two drums) of
crushed material was collected by selecting 5-10 kg aliquots from
random location in the homogenized pile.
A sub-sample of the head sample was submitted for abrasion index
testing, and the remainder crushed to 100% passing 12.7 mm and 25
kg sample was taken for Bond Rod Mill Work Index (RWI) AND Bond
Ball Mill Work Index (BWI) testwork. The resto of the sample was
further crushed to 100% passing 3.3 mm. The less than 3.3 mm sample
was split into 2 kg and 10 kg charges for batch and bulk
concentrate flotation production tests. Flotation charges were
stage-ground to 100% passing 106 µm or 150 µm based on
mineralogical data and SGS's prior experience with REE flotation
testwork programs.
For the locked-cycle test, a stability check reveals that
reasonable stability was achieved quickly for all elements, and
three cycles were deemed suitable for projected mass balance
calculation, to simulate the metallurgical performance that would
be achieved in a continuous operation.
Head grade, batch, and locked-cycle concentrate products for
cerium, lanthanum, neodymium and praseodymium oxides were
determined via lithium-borate fusion of a 0.5 gram sample analyzed
via wavelength dispersion X-ray fluorescence (WD-XRF). The
remaining rare earth elements for the head sample were determined
via 0.5 gram sodium-peroxide fusion multi-element ICP-MS.
The SGS analysis included a quality assurance / quality control
(QA/QC) program including the insertion of rare earth element
standard and blank samples. Defense Metals detected no significant
QA/QC issues during review of the data. Defense Metals is not aware
of any drilling, sampling, recovery or other factors that could
materially affect the accuracy or reliability of the data referred
to herein. SGS Minerals Lakefield is an ISO/IEC 17025 and
ISO9001:2015 accredited. SGS is independent of Defense Metals
Corp.
About Defense Metals Corp.
Defense Metals Corp. is a mineral exploration company focused on
the acquisition of mineral deposits containing metals and
elements commonly used in the electric power market, military,
national security and the production of "GREEN" energy
technologies, such as, high strength alloys and rare earth magnets.
Defense Metals has an option to acquire 100% of the 1,780 hectare
Wicheeda Rare Earth Element Property located near Prince George, British Columbia, Canada.
Defense Metals Corp. trades in Canada under the symbol "DEFN" on the TSX
Venture Exchange, in the United
States, under "DFMTF" on the OTCQB and in Germany on the Frankfurt Exchange under
"35D".
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation
Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the
TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or
accuracy of this news release.
Forward Looking Information
This news release includes certain statements that constitute
"forward-looking information or statements" within the meaning of
applicable securities law, including without limitation, Defense
Metals plans for its properties/ projects, metallurgical testing
and results, receipt of assays from drilling, other statements
relating to the technical, financial and business prospects of
Defense Metals and its properties, and other matters.
Forward-looking statements address future events and conditions
and are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and
assumptions. These statements relate to analyses and other
information that are based on forecasts of future results,
estimates of amounts not yet determinable and assumptions of
management. Any statements that express or involve discussions with
respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections,
objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but
not always, using words or phrases such as "expects" or "does not
expect", "is expected", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate",
"plans", "estimates" or "intends", or stating that certain actions,
events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be
taken, occur or be achieved), and variations of such words, and
similar expressions are not statements of historical fact and may
be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statement are
necessarily based upon a number of factors that, if untrue, could
cause the actual results, performances or achievements of Defense
Metals to be materially different from future results, performances
or achievements express or implied by such statements. Such
statements and information are based on numerous assumptions
regarding present and future business strategies and the
environment in which Defense Metals will operate in the future,
including the price of metals, anticipated costs and the ability to
achieve goals, that general business and economic conditions will
not change in a material adverse manner, that financing will be
available if and when needed and on reasonable terms, and that
third party contractors, equipment and supplies and governmental
and other approvals required to conduct Defense Metals planned
exploration activities will be available on reasonable terms and in
a timely manner. While such estimates and assumptions are
considered reasonable by the management of Defense Metals, they are
inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive
and regulatory uncertainties and risks.
Forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and
uncertainties, which could cause actual events, level of activity,
performance or results to differ materially from those reflected in
the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation: (i)
risks related to uranium, rare earth elements, and other
commodity price fluctuations; (ii) risks and uncertainties relating
to the interpretation of exploration results; (iii) risks related
to the inherent uncertainty of exploration and cost estimates and
the potential for unexpected costs and expenses; (iv) that resource
exploration and development is a speculative business; (v) that
Defense Metals may lose or abandon its property interests or may
fail to receive necessary licences and permits; (vi) that
environmental laws and regulations may become more onerous;
(vii) that Defense Metals may not be able to raise additional funds
when necessary; (viii) the possibility that future exploration,
development or mining results will not be consistent with Defense
Metals expectations; (ix) exploration and development risks,
including risks related to accidents, equipment breakdowns, labour
disputes or other unanticipated difficulties with or interruptions
in exploration and development; * competition; (xi) the potential
for delays in exploration or development activities or the
completion of geologic reports or studies; (xii) the uncertainty of
profitability based upon Defense Metals history of losses; (xiii)
risks related to environmental regulation and liability; (xiv)
risks associated with failure to maintain community acceptance,
agreements and permissions (generally referred to as "social
licence"), including local First Nations; (xv) risks relating to
obtaining and maintaining all necessary government permits,
approvals and authorizations relating to the continued exploration
and development of Defense Metals projects; (xvi) risks related to
the outcome of legal actions; (xvii) political and regulatory risks
associated with mining and exploration; (xix) risks related to
current global financial conditions; and (xx) other risks and
uncertainties related to Defense Metals prospects, properties and
business strategy. These risks, as well as others, could cause
actual results and events to vary significantly.
Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially
from those in forward looking statements include, but are not
limited to, continued availability of capital and financing and
general economic, market or business conditions, the loss of key
directors, employees, advisors or consultants, adverse weather
conditions, increase in costs, equipment failures, litigation,
failure of counterparties to perform their contractual obligations
and fees charged by service providers. Investors are cautioned that
forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance
or events and, accordingly are cautioned not to put undue reliance
on forward-looking statements due to the inherent uncertainty of
such statements. The forward-looking statements included in this
news release are made as of the date hereof and Defense Metals
disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any
forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information,
future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by
applicable securities legislation.
SOURCE Defense Metals Corp.