West Cobar Metals Limited’s Post

### Titanomagnetite: A Key Mineral Resource Titanomagnetite is a vital mineral resource formed in basic or ultrabasic rock bodies. It contains a mix of minerals, including titanium, iron, and chromium oxides, as well as silicates, sulfur, arsenic compounds, and phosphates. Key valuable ores include titanium magnetite, ilmenite, magnetite, hematite, and sulfides. #### Characteristics and Industrial Value Titanomagnetite typically occurs as plate-shaped and columnar ilmenite crystals embedded in magnetite grains, with properties similar to magnetite. It is primarily found in magmatic deposits and is crucial for producing titanium dioxide and sponge titanium, as well as being a main raw material for refining metallic titanium and iron. #### Chemical Composition - **Titanium Magnetite**: TiO2 content < 25% - **Ilmenite**: TiO2 content ≥ 25% - **Vanadium-Titanium Magnetite**: High vanadium and titanium content #### Global Distribution Major deposits are located in Russia, South Africa, China, the USA, Canada, Norway, Finland, Sweden, India, Australia, and New Zealand. The Panzhihua deposit in Sichuan, China, is notably significant, containing substantial ilmenite reserves and representing a primary type of iron ore resource in the region. #### Beneficiation and Smelting Technologies Advancements in beneficiation and smelting technologies involve: 1. **Magnetic Separation**: To recover vanadium-titanium magnetite concentrate. 2. **Flotation, Gravity, and Strong Magnetic Separation**: To recover ilmenite from tailings. 3. **Flotation for Sulfide Recovery**: During iron selection. These processes extract iron, vanadium, sponge titanium, titanium dioxide, cobalt, nickel, and valuable elements like scandium and gallium. Titanomagnetite's broad industrial applications and ongoing technological developments highlight its significance in the global mineral resource landscape. #MineralResources #Titanomagnetite #IndustrialMinerals #Mining #Metallurgy #GlobalResources #Innovatio

Hastings is expediting the investigation of including a niobium (Nb) circuit to our Yangibana Rare Earths Project to provide a multi-commodity recovery process stream. We are pleased to announce the results of successful initial metallurgical test work on niobium samples sourced from our Bald Hill and Simon’s Find tenements. Here are the key points: ◾ Multi-Commodity Recovery:  Potential for by-product credits from niobium, complementing our primary focus on rare earth elements (Nd, Pr, Dy, Tb). ◾ Niobium Concentrations:  Niobium (Nb2O5) concentrations occur in the form of mineral ferro-columbite at the Yangibana Project over a 4-kilometre strike at the existing Simon’s Find and Bald Hill deposits. ◾ Widespread Occurrences: Niobium minerals are present across all prospects of the Yangibana Rare Earths Project. ◾ Upcoming Milestones: Further metallurgical test work results and a maiden Resource Estimate for niobium expected by Q3 2024. ◾ Initial Success:  Initial metallurgical test work has now been completed on selected samples from Bald Hill South at the Yangibana Project.  The initial test work recovered and concentrated the ferro-columbite to 16.88% Nb2O5 from a 0.87% Nb2O5 feed, a 19 times uplift of niobium grade. Read the full announcement: https://lnkd.in/grBEufcf #HastingsTechnologyMetals #YangibanaProject #RareEarths #Niobium #MiningInnovation #ASX

📚 #LearnwithMetSoP: Metallurgy Processes 📚 Dive into the flotation process, a crucial method for separating valuable minerals from ores using air bubbles. Learn how this technique enhances mineral recovery and efficiency in the metallurgical industry. Follow us for more insights into essential metallurgical processes! #Metallurgy101 #Flotation #MiningIndustry #MetalProcessing #MetSoP #IndustryInsights

Mining of lithium (Li) deposits is increasing to meet demand for the metal from the lithium-ion battery (LIB) sector. Once extracted, ICP-OES is often used for the rapid, onsite analysis of representative Li ores. The technique offers excellent sensitivity and selectivity for Li, a high level of robustness, and stability over long runs. Typically ores are prepared using a fast, low-cost sample preparation procedure, such as sodium peroxide (Na2 O2 ) fusion. The fusion digestion method is versatile, can break down some refractory minerals, and is commonly used at mine sites. In this Application Brief, an Agilent 5800 VDV ICP-OES fitted with a six-port Advanced Valve System (AVS 6) switching valve was used for the accurate analysis of alkali group metals in Li ore samples. Read more: https://lnkd.in/d8qAbGNr

Did you know the answer to last week’s poll on the rarest mineral in the world? Only 36% of respondents did! Here are some fun facts about our winner: Kyawthuite. #cmsolutionsmetlab #miningindustry #minerals #gemstones #metallurgy #funfactfriday #kyawthuite #laboratory #poll #cmsolutions

⚒ Magmatic Sulfides and Cumulates: A Treasure Trove of Metals Magmatic sulfides, a significant source of valuable metals like platinum, palladium, and chromium, are formed through a fascinating process within Earth's fiery depths. ⚒ The Formation Process 1. Mafic and Ultramafic Magmas: These magma types, rich in iron, magnesium, and sulfur, are the foundation for magmatic sulfide deposits. 2. Early Crystallization: As these magmas cool, minerals like plagioclase, pyroxene, and olivine crystallize first, leaving behind a melt enriched in sulfur and other minor elements. 3. Sulfide Mineral Formation: Eventually, sulfur concentrations reach a point where sulfide minerals, like those containing iron and nickel, begin to crystallize. 4. Density and Settling: Sulfides are denser than silicate minerals and the magma itself, causing them to sink towards the bottom of the magma chamber. 5. Cumulate Formation: Over time, these dense sulfide minerals accumulate, forming a layer called a cumulate, which can be centimeters or even meters thick. These cumulates are often composed almost entirely of sulfide minerals. For more information 👉 https://lnkd.in/esWAJuHr

Metals Australia Ltd has identified the high-value #lithium mineral spodumene in metallurgical samples from its Foundation Lithium-Pegmatite discovery at the Manindi Project, 20km southwest of Youanmi in Western Australia’s highly prospective Murchison District. The #spodumene was identified by mineralogical work on tailings from initial metallurgical testwork on samples from high-grade drill-core from drillhole MND005, which produced a 12m intersection grading 1.38% Li2O including 3m @ 2.12% Li2O from the central part of the Foundation #Pegmatite discovery. Metals Australia Chairman, Mike Scivolo commented “The identification of spodumene in the high-grade lithium bearing pegmatites at Manindi is an extremely positive sign as it highlights the potential for greater proportions of this high-value lithium mineral both within the identified pegmatites and in new zones.  “Once the metallurgical testwork is completed, the Company will carry out further drilling to test priority spodumene target zones and define a maiden mineral resource estimate.”   Read full ASX Announcement: https://bit.ly/3ROsJcb #ASXnews #MLS #exploration

[Faster time to market with a substitute product until their other value-adding product is available] With the crystalliser, MMC is leapfrogging over its own ore-to-sulphate project.  We will be supplying manganese in the shape and form that the precursor manufacturers want it to these manufacturers as soon as possible. “For us to do that, we have to dissolve some of our current metal, which is already 99.9% pure, and then, in order to ship it to where it’s needed, we recrystallise it and we ship manganese sulphate," Swanepoel explained. MMC has been in discussions with South Africa’s Industrial Development Corporation for some time about funding an ore-to-sulphate project, on which R540-million will be spent in Mbombela as soon as the details have been finalised. “That process, unfortunately, is a three-year to five-year process and it will continue. It is the long term future of South African manganese ore into the battery space. We are ideally situated. “However, just as China did not wait for the world and America and Europe are not waiting for South Africa, the battery space is developing super-fast. We do not have to back a technology or a combination of minerals. https://lnkd.in/djpMAVAW

Assay of Alkali Metals in Pegmatite and Spodumene Ores by ICP-OES !! #lithiumbattery #electricvehicle #batterymanufacturing #agilent #icpoes #icpms

#ExtractionOfCopperFromOre. Most of the copper in copper ores exists as copper-iron-sulphide minerals, e.g (Chalcopyrite -CuFeS2). The %Cu in the ores are usually minute (mostly between 0.5-2%Cu). The grades are getting lower and hence the need to optimize & upgrade or develop new processes for efficient extraction of these minerals. Copper also exists in form of copper oxide minerals (which includes silicates, carbonates, sulphate etc), though to a less degree than sulphides. After copper sulphide ores are concentrated, they are usually treated via the pyro-metallurgy route while most oxide copper is treated via hydro-metallurgy route. Other reasons apart from ore type, for going either via the pyro or hydro route may include: size of the ore body, presence of bonus elements such as PGMs, presence of noxious elements such as uranium etc. However, sometimes oxides can be sulphudized to convert to sulphide and treated the pyro-metallurgy route and also sulphides can be roasted to oxide and treated the hydro-metallurgy route for various reasons such as ore characteristics/complexity of the ore, environmental factors, energy requirements, targeting of specific elements, economics etc. Ref 1. Extractive Metallurgy of Copper 5th Edition by Davenport W.G, Sole K.C, King M.J & Schlesinger M.E #CopperExtraction