Australian Vanadium Ltd (ASX:AVL) has produced high-purity vanadium pentoxide from representative leach liquor using hydrometallurgical methods, tested as part of a detailed flowsheet validation program for the Australian Vanadium Project.
The company believes the vanadium flake product from the project is of ‘outstanding’ quality, comparable to high-purity products from existing global producers.
A metallurgical test-work program is underway to optimise the final stages of the vanadium refining process, which includes precipitation and V2O5 production.
Comparable to established producer peers
Managing director Vincent Algar said: “Test results have shown that the AVL process, using standard methods, has the capability to achieve high-purity vanadium pentoxide throughout the life of mine.
“The high-purity product is comparable with the high-purity vanadium products made by our established producer peers.
“This outcome comes from concentrating on thorough technical study work and using the process method improvements AVL has identified in that study work.
“Without doubt, this quality outcome further increases confidence in the project.”
Improved vanadium recovery
In parallel with AMV (ammonium metavanadate) test-work on representative leach liquor, AVL has tested an alternative mature vanadium production route known as APV (ammonium polyvanadate).
The APV processing path is a direct precipitation and operates at lower pH and higher temperature.
Testing indicates an improved vanadium recovery, a reduced ammonium sulphate reagent consumption and has generated a final product quality of 99.4% vanadium pentoxide, which was independently verified by an accredited laboratory.
These encouraging results and further APV optimisation test work currently underway will be used to assess and determine the final purification flowsheet and support AVL’s vanadium products specification.
Larger leach samples to become available
Following the refinery pilot test-work program, larger leachate samples will become available to evaluate further vanadium pentoxide purification, targeting products to service the vanadium redox flow battery and specialty chemical markets.
AVL is the recipient of a federal CRC-P Grant to investigate the production of high-purity vanadium.
BFS progress
The metallurgical test-work programs that will be used to underpin the BFS processing flowsheets are nearing completion.
Significant pilot-scale testing has been completed to validate an optimised concentrator flowsheet and a pelletisation and grate kiln roasting circuit for the front part of the refinery flowsheet.
Further leach and vanadium purification test work is underway to optimise the downstream refinery flowsheet and this is forecast to be completed by the end of year.
AVL’s engineering consultant (Wood Mining and Metals) is updating the process design for the parts of the flowsheet that have been validated by pilot test-work.
This work will enable a progressive commencement of the BFS engineering activities which is targeted for completion in mid-2021.