Doubleview Gold Corp (TSX-V:DBG, OTCQB:DBLVF) has said that its first attempt at recovering scandium in a sequential purification process has recovered 56% of scandium in tailings from its Hat copper-gold-cobalt property in the Golden Triangle region of the Atlin mining district in Northern British Columbia.
The company said scandium was recovered as a phosphate precipitate by treating flotation tailings extraction solution from metallurgical testwork on Hat mineralization.
"The discovery of a deposit with potential deliverables of scandium, cobalt, copper and gold by Doubleview is a significant achievement for the company, its shareholders and North America as a whole,” Doubleview president and CEO Farshad Shirvani said in a statement. “Of particular significance is the potential for scandium, as the USA imports 100% of its scandium consumption."
READ: Doubleview Gold updates on maiden resource estimate at Hat project in British Columbia
"This landmark discovery has the potential to expand the use of scandium in a variety of applications, one of which is its ability to enhance the energy capacity, stability and safety of nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) batteries commonly used in electric vehicles and consumer electronics,” he added.
The company noted that earlier scandium extraction testwork aimed at the recovery of the mineral from Hat deposit flotation tailings demonstrated that it was possible to extract 90% of scandium to solution by employing a sulphate leach at elevated temperatures.
"The integration of scandium into aluminum alloys can lead to a stronger and lighter material than steel, which is essential for the automobile and aerospace industries,” Shirvani continued. “As the demand for energy-efficient vehicles continues to grow, the use of scandium aluminium alloy, with high percentages of scandium, provides a solution to the challenge of heavy energy consumption and limited infrastructure capacity. The shift towards ever lighter materials will require adoption by global industry of new techniques and materials."
Testwork has now moved into the scandium recovery optimization phase, with sequential purification for the removal of iron and aluminum followed by precipitation of scandium as a phosphate product, the company said. Although 56% of scandium was recovered to a phosphate precipitate at the first attempt, testwork to improve recovery and purity is continuing, including sequential purification, precipitate washing, phosphate purity and recovery, it added.
"The discovery of this deposit has the potential to revolutionize various industries and provides a new opportunity for the use of scandium,” Shirvani concluded. “This discovery has the potential to create a significant impact on the industry."
Doubleview Gold a mineral resource exploration and development company, is based in Vancouver. The company identifies, acquires and finances precious and base metal exploration projects in North America, particularly in British Columbia.
Contact the author at stephen.gunnion@proactiveinvestors.com