Andromeda Metals Ltd (ASX:ADN, OTC:ANDMF) CEO and managing director Bob Katsiouleris presented at the ICerS Raw Materials for Ceramic Tile Conference, where he showcased the results from tests on kaolin from The Great White Project in South Australia to key global buyers and users of kaolin for ceramics.
The conference, held at Sassuolo near Bologna, Italy on February 22, 2024, was focused on the ceramics supply chain, critical raw materials, global mineral resources and technological aspects in the formulation of mixtures.
Conference attendees included a broad cross-section involved in the manufacture of ceramic tiles, including those involved in technical, operations and procurement.
The presentation included information not previously published, from tests conducted by the Institute of Ceramic Technology (ITC) on Great White CRM and Great White KCM 90 products.
Chemical composition (wt%) of Andromeda’s products, benchmarked against a suite of globally traded kaolins, has confirmed the world-class product grade of Great White CRM.
The tests also supported the use of Great White CRM in super and ultra white premium slabs and porcelain tiles. The high brightness of Great White CRM supports reductions in use of high-priced zircon as opacifier.
Preliminary value in use results extending the zircon-replacement potential of Great White CRM to between 10-18% reduction in zircon.
Additionally, Katsiouleris presented initial characterisation results produced by SACMI, a Tier 1 technology supplier for the manufacture of porcelain tiles and slabs.
SACMI noted: “It is a material of excellent quality and great purity, suitable for the production of first category products such as slabs, kitchen countertops, in particular hyperwhite products with a very high L* degree, and also for glazes and engobes compositions.
Prior to the conference, Katsiouleris said: “I am pleased to have been asked to present at this important conference for the ceramics industry. It represents a unique opportunity to showcase the extraordinary results from tests on kaolin from The Great White Project to many key global buyers and users of kaolin for ceramics.
“The opportunity to present at the conference highlights the heightened interest by the industry to the emerging potential offered by our high-quality kaolin products. This comes at a time of increasing scarcity in global kaolin markets, driven by ongoing geopolitical supply disruptions and the depletion of traditional high-quality sources of supply.”