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Defense Metals Showcases Wicheeda REE Deposit Via Paper Submission to 59th COM2020 Metallurgical Conference & Retains Electrik Dojo LLC for Native Advertising and Digital Marketing
VANCOUVER, BC, Sept. 21, 2020 /CNW/ - Defense Metals Corp. ("Defense Metals") (TSXV: DEFN) (OTCQB: DFMTF) (FSE: 35D) is pleased to announce that SGS Canada Inc.
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[{"type":"text","content":" VANCOUVER, BC, Sept. 21, 2020 /CNW/ - Defense Metals Corp. (\"Defense Metals\") (TSXV: DEFN) (OTCQB: DFMTF) (FSE: 35D) is pleased to announce that SGS Canada Inc. (\"SGS\") and Defense Metals have submitted a technical paper titled: Beneficiation and Extraction of REE from Defense Metals' Wicheeda Deposit in BC to the 59th Conference of Metallurgist (COM2020). The Wicheeda Rare Earth Element (REE) Deposit is located within Defence Metals' 1,708 hectare (4,220 acre) Wicheeda Project located near Prince George, Canada. The Wicheeda Deposit hosts indicated mineral resources of 4,890,000 tonnes averaging 3.02% LREO (Light Rare Earth Elements), and inferred mineral resources of 12,100,000 tonnes averaging 2.90% LREO1. The paper highlights the success of the recently completed test program conducted at SGS Lakefield that led to the development of a combined flotation and hydrometallurgical flowsheet capable of processing Wicheeda carbonatite mineralization and producing a purified mixed rare earth precipitate suitable for further rare separation. Highlights of the COM 2020 paper: The flowsheet (as developed) was capable of producing high grade batch floatation concentrates (up to 54% TREO) at high recoveries which is considered excellent. A high-grade concentrate (~49% TREO grade) was obtained at high REE recoveries (~85%) in locked cycle flotation tests (see Defense Metals news release dated October 23, 2019). Representative samples of concentrate were further processed in a hydrometallurgical flowsheet consisting of hydrochloric acid leaching and caustic cracking and led to the production of either a 81% TREO hydroxide sample or 96% TREO oxide sample. Overall REE extraction (from ore to leach solution) of 78% was accomplished with several opportunities identified for improvement (see Defense Metals news release dated February 18, 2020). SGS achieved a strong REE beneficiation response in batch flotation tests by careful control of flotation kinetics and the dosages of collectors and depressants. The Wicheeda REE Deposit hydrometallurgical flowsheet is chloride-based and uses hydrochloric acid to dissolve gangue minerals away from the REE carrying minerals. The REE containing leach residue is subsequently processed in a caustic treatment step to convert REE phosphates and fluorid...