Brazilian Critical Minerals (ASX:BCM) has updated the market on its Brazilian Ema Project, reporting the company achieved REE recoveries up to 87%.
The company highlighted neodymium (Nd) and praseodymium (Pr) – the two best known high-value rare earths – as well as dysprosium and terbium, more obscure metals.
One 13m intersection part of recovery testing saw recoveries of 71% Nd and 62% Pr.
The company says it achieved this using a “weak ammonium sulphate leaching solution” over leach times of only 30 minutes.
Those tests confirm “rare earths are present in ionic form and leachable at low operating cost,” BCM reported on Wednesday.
BCM NEC Jeremy Robinson outlined where the company’s now looking.
“Our immediate focus is to complete the maiden Ema Mineral Resource Estimate with all the data having been handed over to the consultants for processing,” Robinson said.
“At the same time, [we’re] proceeding with further metallurgical optimisation test-work at ANSTO which will commence shortly, with samples having already been delivered.”
In the background of BCM’s Wednesday update, a maiden JORC MRE is being prepared for Ema by geotechs on-site.
Drillers will be returning on-site to re-drill certain assets which the company believes contain higher grade REE mineralisation deeper underground.
BCM shares last traded at 2.6c.