First Phosphate Corp. (CSE:PHOS) said that it has received the final research report from Queen's University Pufahl Research Group regarding its Lac à l'Orignal deposit.
The report was completed by postdoctoral researcher Sandeep Banerjee and dated March 13, 2023. It is titled, "Characterization of First Phosphate's Lac à l'Orignal Phosphate Deposit, Lac-Saint-Jean Anorthosite (LSJA) Complex, Quebec, Canada: Implications for Supplying Lithium Ferro (Iron) Phosphate (LFP) Batteries"
"Collectively, the attributes indicate that First Phosphate's Lac à l'Orignal deposit is a source of North American phosphorus for the LFP battery industry that has a high probability of being ESG-compliant," said Peir Pufahl, co-director of Queen's University Facility for Isotope Research.
The host-rock of First Phosphate's Lac à l'Orignal deposit is a gabbronorite composed of plagioclase, orthopyroxene, clinopyroxene, biotite, fluorapatite, ilmenite, and magnetite, the company said. Fluorapatite is the primary mineralization and ilmenite and magnetite are potentially important secondary commodities for the production of titanium oxide and iron.
"Advanced mineralogical data is essential for making decisions regarding site feasibility and how to cost effectively extract clean phosphate under strict environmental, social and governance guidelines, with the lowest possible carbon footprint," said Peter Kent, president of First Phosphate.
"This partnership has provided First Phosphate with a competitive edge by laying the foundation for developing proprietary and advanced methods of phosphate production for the LFP battery industry. Ultimately, we want to leverage our high-purity phosphate Mineral Resource to help Quebec and Canada become a leader in the electric vehicle industry, and advance on our national climate change goals."
The Lac à l'Orignal deposit is a promising viable source of phosphate for the lithium iron phosphate battery market.
Additionally, the low abundance of sulfide gangue minerals suggests that the environmental risks of acid mine drainage from tailings would be minimal. Such low concentrations of deleterious trace elements and sulfide minerals make the Lac à l'Orignal deposit an attractive and highly probable ESG-compliant source of North American phosphate for the LFP battery industry.
"The Lac à l'Orignal phosphate deposit is unique because it occurs in anorthosite. Anorthosite is an igneous rock that is a new and sought-after source of phosphate for the North American LFP market,” Pufahl said. “Collaborative research with the Pufahl Research Group at Queen's University shows that anorthosite may be ideal for producing phosphoric acid with low levels of trace elements, a critical step for producing high-quality, ESG-compliant LFP cathodes.”
Contact Andrew Kessel at andrew.kessel@proactiveinvestors.com
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