Manganese X Energy Corp (TSX-V:MN, OTCQB:MNXXF) said it has wrapped up the third and final processing metallurgical phase for the upcoming preliminary economic assessment of its Battery Hill project.
The company said that test work evaluated the final high purity manganese sulphate monohydrate (HPMSM) crystallization, in which Kemetco Research Inc developed a “novel and innovative” purification process, eliminating one of two major purification steps.
Manganese X told shareholders that the process potentially creates important economic advantages for the project.
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The purification process is an essential part of completing the Battery Hill PEA, and setting it up to produce high grade manganese battery material for the electric vehicle and energy storage markets.
The process also produced final crystal products with all contaminants below 100 parts per million (ppm) calcium and magnesium, which Manganese X called a “crucial threshold level” for battery grade HPMSM.
Kemetco's report identified the critical control factors for producing the high purity product in a commercial process and laid out the next steps to advance the technology to a larger scale, the company added.
Environmentally-friendly methodologies at lower costs
The HPMSM used in Kemetco’s testing did not contain selenium, which is considered a toxic pollutant but is used by some HPMSM producers worldwide to reduce production costs.
Manganese X CEO Martin Kepman told investors that the company is dedicated to achieving new environment-friendly and more efficient methodologies while processing manganese at a lower competitive cost.
“Our company continues to upgrade the technology of our flowsheet as well as improve the economics,” Kepman said in a statement.
The CEO told shareholders that the company is very optimistic heading into the final stages of the PEA.
“Given that the new lab-proven process is very favorable for scaling up, we may transition into a pilot project immediately following our PEA. The key will be to ensure cost effective production that will allow scalability,” Kepman said.
“We are confident manganese will be a high demand commodity for battery chemistry going forward, as more and more manufacturers shift away from cobalt," he added.
Manganese X believes it is well positioned for supplying the North American supply chain, given that Battery Hill is strategically located in New Brunswick, Canada close to the US border.
Contact Angela at angela@proactiveinvestors.com
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