IMC Rare Earths Ltd (NYSE American: IMC) reported that laboratory-scale metallurgical testwork at its Itarantim ionic adsorption clay project in Brazil recovered up to 95.2% terbium, with an average of 81.1% in the best-performing composite tested.
The mixed rare earth carbonate intermediate was produced using a hydrometallurgical route. Samples were submitted to ANSTO Minerals for further quantitative metallurgical work to assess recovery performance and mixed rare earth carbonate characteristics.
Recovery of principal magnet rare earth elements from the tested material ranged as follows: neodymium at 51.8% to 77.7%, praseodymium at 33.1% to 41.1%, dysprosium at 31.3% to 55.6%, and terbium at 56.6% to 95.2%.
The Itarantim project, located across the states of Bahia and Minas Gerais, hosts approximately 1.1 billion tonnes of Inferred Mineral Resource containing neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium and terbium. Within a 105.8 million-tonne inferred domain, the project averages 8 ppm terbium. Inferred Mineral Resources are considered too speculative to apply economic considerations and have not demonstrated economic viability.
Frank Scolaro, chief executive officer and chair of IMC Rare Earths, said the results mark "an important step forward" in the project. Testwork was conducted in collaboration with the Instituto Federal do Rio Grande do Norte and EMBRAPII-affiliated CT Mineral laboratory.
