Western Magnesium Corp. (TSX-V:WMG, OTCQB:MLYF) announced that it has received 99.83% metal purity results from the first calibration process run of unrefined magnesium metal produced directly from the commercialized pilot plant, exceeding the company’s expectation of 99.80% purity.
The pending producer of primary magnesium metal said the achievement further positions the company as the front-runner in the American manufacturing revolution of producing clean magnesium and bringing the production of this critical mineral back to the US.
“This is a phenomenal outcome as the samples are unrefined and straight from the reactor, representing the opportunity for the company to produce many different product lines from our magnesium metal including alloys, whether it be in an ingot or molten form without refining,” Western Magnesium executive chairman Edward Lee said in a statement.
READ: Western Magnesium hails output from commercial pilot plant as 'overwhelming success'
Paul Sauvé, Western Magnesium’s chief technology officer, also commented, stating: “Achieving metal purity greater than 99.80% this early in the optimization phase is an unprecedented achievement and provides further confidence that we have not only met, but also exceeded our goals.”
Western Magnesium noted the metal purity samples were prepared by its process engineer, Dr Tyler Davis, while the magnesium metal analysis was conducted by Laser Ablation ICP Mass Spectrometry at FiLTER located at the University of British Columbia Okanagan, in Kelowna.
Western Magnesium's goal is to be a low-cost producer of green, primary magnesium metal, a strategic commodity prized for its strength and lightweight.
Unlike outdated and costly production processes, Western Magnesium looks to use a continuous silicothermic process to produce magnesium, which significantly reduces labor and energy costs relative to current methods and processes, while being environmentally friendly.
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