MGX Minerals Inc. (CSE:XMG, OTC:MGXMF) said that an initial proposal has been made to the Natural Resource Canada - Zero Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program, to direct Federal funds into a supply chain that provides for a domestic mine to market (M2M) industrial solar product for Canadian energy infrastructure.
The Vancouver-based resource and technology company said the final plan will be provided to governing parties of the First Nation, municipal, regional, provincial and federal governments, as well as private sector solar and chemical partners with current M2M solar supply chain roles, to form a partnership.
MGX explained that the purpose of the partnership is for domestic availability of metallurgical grade silicon, upgrading, and component design for solar panels. The long-term strategic goal is to provide low-cost energy for internal company use in silicon and magnesium processing and the energy needs of First Nations and the provinces and territories of Canada.
READ: MGX Minerals consulting major stakeholders on solar silicon metal project site in British Columbia
The company said metallurgical testing on a one-ton sample from its Gibraltar Silica deposit, 95 kilometres (km) north-east of Cranbrook in British Columbia, has indicated that the material is chemically suitable, as medium-quality feedstock, for metallurgical-grade silicon.
The quartzite sample was shipped to an independent lab, Dorfner Anzaplan, for mineralogical analyses through X-ray diffraction analysis, chemical analyses through X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, grain size distribution, mineral processing analysis, automated optical sorting, and thermal stability testing.
The sample was crushed and screened into fractions between 20-120 millimetres for evaluation of the applicability of these fractions as feedstock for metallurgical-grade silicon production. Results indicate that the material, after comminution and classification fraction, is of high initial purity (99.5 weight percentage), making the fraction chemically suitable as medium-quality feedstock material for metallurgical-grade silicon metal production.
Gibraltar Silica
MGX noted that it has completed five drill holes at Gibraltar. The holes were located at the Red Cloud (Gibraltar) quarry that was operated on a small scale in 1967.
The objective of the drill program was to test subsurface dimensions of high purity quartzite. The Gibraltar North Zone has been sampled, and mapped and the area located about 400 meters north of the south zone, represents the continuation of the Mount Wilson Formation quartzite.
Koot Silica
The company’s Koot Silica project is about 5 km from Gibraltar. The 2018 core drilling and geochemical sampling were carried out to evaluate the mineral potential in a 180m by 600m area (elongated northwest), located in the east portion of the Koot Silica property in the area where quartzite is well exposed on a low relief ridge. This coincides with the general area where Cominco Ltd drilled eight holes in 1981, it said.
Processing
MGX said the processing of silica to silicon is a relatively simple process, primarily dependent on high-quality feedstock.
Additional ingredients of wood chips, for spacing, and metallurgical grade coal, to reduce energy requirements and assist in even heat transfer are required.
It noted that both of these ingredients as well as electricity, at a globally competitive price, are available in the region.
The materials are top loaded into a submerged arc furnace and heated to 1600 degrees Celsius melting the silica which is then bottom poured into bricks which are ground into 3-4 inch pieces for shipping.
MGX said it has issued a global request for quotation and received initial quotations from major furnace manufacturers with a minimum specification of 1,000 tonnes per month.
MGX is a diversified Canadian resource and technology company with interests in strategic metals, precious metals and advanced energy technologies.
Contact the author at stephen.gunnion@proactiveinvestors.com