Hastings Technology Metals has successfully completed the crucial continuous Hydromet pilot plant operations for the Yangibana rare earths project, Cadence Minerals PLC (LON:KDNC) revealed.
Cadence is the junior partner in the Yangibana joint venture, in which Hastings has a 70% stake.
Pilot plant testing of the hydrometallurgy (Hydromet) circuits successfully validated the simple and effective flow-sheet of the Yangibana Hydromet processes, Cadence said.
READ: Cadence Minerals flags new progress at Yangibana
The piloting produced 3.5 kilograms of concentrate per hour, with the processing circuit operating continuously on a 24 hour basis over a total of 12 days at Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), Lucas Heights, New South Wales.
There were three phases to the pilot: acid bake; water leach and impurity removal; carbonate product precipitation
Hastings said all three phases achieved or exceeded laboratory results.
Cadence shares were up 5% at 0.477p on the news.