Platina Resources Ltd (ASX:PGM) has produced a small sample of high purity alumina (HPA) in its metallurgical testing program for its Owendale Scandium-Cobalt-Nickel Project in New South Wales.
HPA is a valuable commodity and has the potential to be a high-value by-product at Owendale.
Initial purification test work has demonstrated a purity of 99.989%, very near to the valuable 4-nines (4N) category of 99.99%.
READ: Platina Resources director shows faith in scandium strategy with on-market share purchase
Platina’s managing director Corey Nolan said: “Platina is extremely pleased that the very first attempt at recovering aluminium has produced an almost 4N quality HPA product.
“The results demonstrate that Platina has the ability to produce a very high quality by-product, adding another potential revenue stream for the project.”
READ: Platina Resources increase resource at one of world’s largest scandium projects
HPA is the pure form of aluminium oxide and the pre-cursor material for the manufacture of sapphire glass and ceramic coated lithium-ion battery separators.
HPA’s value is derived from its physical properties of extreme hardness and chemical stability.
The price of HPA varies upon product density, crystal structure, particle size and distribution and degree of purity.
Further testing is required to demonstrate the economic potential of producing HPA as a by-product at Owendale.