Empire Metals Ltd (AIM:EEE) told investors it has produced a high-purity titanium dioxide (TiO₂) product from its Pitfield Project in Western Australia.
Preliminary testwork delivered a 91.6% TiO₂ assay, with no deleterious impurities detected, the company said.
This means it is suitable for titanium sponge metal or high-grade pigment production.
Managing director Shaun Bunn described it as a “breakthrough achievement”.
“Development of the processing flowsheet continues at a remarkable pace, a testament to the talent of our project team,” Bunn said in a statement.
“Now, with the success of our very first product finishing trial, we have tested every stage of our process flowsheet, confirming its suitability in recovering titanium dioxide from anatase and rutile, the most abundant titanium minerals encountered in the in-situ mineralised weathered cap.”
He added: “The focus will now shift back to developing a more comprehensive understanding of the ore characteristics, and the potential to further improve the efficiency of each stage of the process, through further bench scale testing.
“This ongoing work will cover the entire flowsheet, including ore handling, mineral separation, beneficiation, purification and product finishing.
“With the pending delivery of our metallurgical bulk samples, collected from the current air-core drilling programme, we will be able to upscale the bench scale testwork to include industry scale testing and look to commence the engineering work necessary for the design of the pilot plant."