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Search Minerals Announces Metallurgical Breakthrough for Rare Earth Recovery
TORONTO , July 23, 2014 /CNW/ - Search Minerals Inc. (" Search " or the " Company ") (TS...
About this update from Search Minerals Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":"\n\n\nTORONTO, July 23, 2014 /CNW/ - Search Minerals Inc. (\"Search\" or the \"Company\") (TSXV: SMY) and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Alterra Resources Inc.,\n are pleased to announce the development of a simplified metallurgical\n process tested on a bulk sample from the Company's Foxtrot Project (\"Foxtrot\" or the \"Project\"), located in the Port Hope Simpson Rare Earth Element District in SE\n Labrador, to produce a high grade rare earth elements (\"REE\") product for refining. A patent application has been lodged with the\n United States Patent Office to protect the Company's ownership of this\n technology. Support was received from the Research & Development\n Corporation (\"RDC\") of Newfoundland and Labrador and from the Atlantic Canada\n Opportunities Agency (\"ACOA\") for this development. Testing was completed by SGS Canada Inc. (\"SGS\").\n\n\nHIGHLIGHTS\n\n\n\nA simple metallurgical treatment of coarse-crushed Foxtrot ore has been\n demonstrated to give high overall extractions of rare earths (73.1 to\n 78.9% for La-Er).  There is no longer any need for grinding, flotation,\n gravity or magnetic separation to treat the Foxtrot ore.\n\n\nA crushed sample of Foxtrot ore (6 mesh, 3.35 mm) was treated by acid\n (200 °C) and water leaching to extract rare earths.  Extraction from\n the ore ranged from 73.8 to 80% for La-Er and 55.9 to 69.9% for Tm-Lu.\n\n\nThe leachate was purified by pH adjustment, and then precipitated to\n give a mixed carbonate precipitate.\n\n\nThe mixed carbonate was further refined by acid leaching, oxalate\n re-precipitation and calcination to produce a high grade rare earth\n oxide (\"REO\") containing low levels of key impurities (including\n thorium) for refining to separate rare earth products.\n\n\nA larger demonstration test of the Company's technology is scheduled for\n Q3 2014 at SGS.\n\n\nSearch is expected to enter into discussions with interested parties for\n the refining of the high grade rare earth oxide product starting in Q3\n 2014.\n\n\nA United States Provisional Patent has been filed to protect the new\n rare earth recovery process.\n\n\n\n\n\n\nStephen Keith, President and CEO of Search, commented on the findings,\n \"We are very pleased with these developments, as they are expected to\n significantly lower the Foxtrot operating and capital costs.  Th...