FYI Resources Ltd (ASX:FYI) has successfully produced 5N (99.999% purity) High Purity Alumina (HPA) from the third week of an extended HPA pilot plant operation undertaken in collaboration with Alcoa (NYSE:AA) of Australia.
The joint development trial used alumina feedstock provided by Alcoa (NYSE:AA) and ran from January 18 to 25, achieving purity from 99.997% to 99.999% aluminium oxide (Al2O3) during the week-long operation.
Purity of the HPA was confirmed using high level Glow Discharge Mass Spectrometry (GDMS) to provide independent, high accuracy confirmation.
“One stage closer to commercialisation”
“Achieving 5N is a landmark event,” FYI Resources managing director Roland Hill said.
“Equally satisfying, however, is that the results of the third pilot plant trial clearly demonstrate the progress being made with our development in terms of increased purity being achieved and the closer operating range providing a much more consistent purity.
“Now, with the impressive trial result and the pilot plant phase successfully completed, the joint development team will continue on its clearly defined HPA blueprint pathway and advance the project one stage closer to commercialisation.”
FYI says the results from the first three extended pilot plant trials have been outstanding, showing a definite increasing trend in:
- higher purity levels achieved;
- increasing overall average purity over the extended pilot plant operations; and
- tighter range and consistency of purity over the extended pilot plant trial.
The following graph demonstrates the measurable quality improvements made over the extended pilot plant trials as a result of various operational refinements:
FYI and Alcoa have agreed that the objectives of the extended pilot plant trials have been successfully achieved and that the final pilot plant trial scheduled in the series is no longer warranted.
With the pilot plant operations phase now complete, increased development focus and project resources will now be turned to finalising the engineering phase, bringing the project one step closer to commercialisation.
The two companies are operating under a clearly defined joint development schedule, which FYI believes will help progress the HPA project rapidly along its development pathway.
About FYI Resources
FYI Resources is positioning itself to be a producer of 4N and 5N high purity alumina (HPA) in the rapidly developing high-tech product markets.
HPA is increasingly becoming the primary sought-after input material for certain high-tech products such as LEDs and sapphire glass products.
The foundation of FYI’s HPA strategy is the company’s moderate temperature, atmospheric pressure innovative process flowsheet. The strategy’s quality attributes combine resulting in world-class HPA project potential.