Andromeda Metals Ltd (ASX:ADN) has received further positive results in concrete and coatings application testing of halloysite and kaolin from the company’s projects on the Eyre Peninsula of South Australia.
Testing of Great White Project halloysite-kaolin across a number of concrete application mix designs continues to deliver positive outcomes.
Early results are consistent with those recorded for the Hammerhead deposit, which could allow supply to the concrete market on mining beginning at Great White.
In further tests, ultra-high purity kaolin from Great White and the nearby Mount Hope Project has shown exceptional results for coating and polymer applications.
Positive newsflow and increased global interest in halloysite-kaolin have seen the company’s market cap increase to approximately $328.3 million while shares have risen from 4.5 cents at market close on September 1 to 20.5 cents on November 6, a new 10-year high.
Concrete applications
Following receipt of some initial highly encouraging test results of halloysite-kaolin material in concrete and mine backfill applications, testing has continued and expanded into several commercially important concrete application mix designs.
These tests continue to deliver positive results with clear strength gains found in self-consolidating concrete while long-term concrete slump properties were maintained with halloysite-kaolin addition.
A number of important handling and performance improvements of the concrete are being found with additional levels of only 1-2 kilograms per cubic metre of halloysite-kaolin, which the company believes will make this potentially of genuine commercial interest for the existing domestic and global market.
Testing will continue with official Australian Concrete Standards Certification anticipated in late November 2020.
The concrete industry represents a new and significant domestic and global market opportunity for halloysite-kaolin with results to date indicating that it can provide genuine benefits.
Investigations into the halloysite content as against performance benefits are in progress.
Coating and polymer applications
Exploration drilling carried out at the Great White and Mount Hope deposits identified significant regions of kaolin with minimal halloysite content, but of exceptionally high purity.
Results from both deposits are of the highest quality, with brightness properties superior to market-leading products which are currently sold for $1,000/tonne.
The ISO brightness and the particle size distributions of the refined products at 70% and 90% less than 2um from both deposits are exceptional, which indicates excellent potential in high-value coatings and polymer markets.
Ceramic fired brightness testing has been carried out as potential interest for product blending with halloysitic material, and the values were all over 100 (off-scale), which reflects the minimal impurities present.
Large representative samples of ultra-high purity kaolin from Great White and Mount Hope were sent to Europe for processing and testing to determine their suitability for these high-value markets.
All processed samples were close to the theoretical maximum for alumina for kaolin and with virtually no colouring oxides or alkalis, which also indicates the potential to produce High Purity Alumina (HPA).
Potential further improvement
The Great White material halloysite-kaolin has already proven to be a premium feed for HPA production and this ultra-high purity kaolin will now be evaluated as a potential further improvement.
This material was sourced from within and extensional to the existing mine design area and representative of the average purity.
Material from both deposits has been refined to a commercial standard and can be used for customer approvals.
Suitable potential customers will now be selected for sampling with larger quantities planned to be produced through the pilot plant at Streaky Bay which the company is recommissioning to replicate the feasibility plant processing facility in order to produce Great White products to further progress this market.
Great White is a joint venture between Andromeda and Minotaur Exploration Ltd (ASX:MEP) in which Andromeda is earning a 75% equity interest while Mt Hope is 100% held by Andromeda.