Business
Search Minerals Completes Zirconium Recovery Testing at SGS Canada Inc.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Jan. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Search Minerals Inc. (TSXV: SMY) (“Search” or the “Company”) is pleased to report that SGS Canada
About this update from Search Minerals Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":" VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Jan. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Search Minerals Inc. (TSXV: SMY) (“Search” or the “Company”) is pleased to report that SGS Canada Inc. (“SGS”) has reported on preliminary metallurgical testing on a channel sample from SILVER FOX for recovery of a zirconium mineral concentrate. SILVER FOX is the fourth major mineralized zone in the Port Hope Simpson – St. Lewis Critical Rare Earth Element (“CREE”) District and is enriched in zirconium content in comparison to FOXTROT and DEEP FOX Resources (see Search Minerals new release October 22, 2020). HIGHLIGHTS – ZIRCONIUM RECOVERY TESTING A SILVER FOX sample weighing approximately 17 kilograms was delivered to SGS from the channel sample program; SGS completed chemical and mineralogical analysis of the sample.○ The sample analyzed 4.26% ZrO2 and 0.08% HfO2 and 1.02% TREO ○ ○ The zirconium mineral identified was Zircon (ZrSiO4) at a grade of ~6.5% and a mineral particle size of 19 um (P50)○ Zircon was analyzed by Electron Probe Micro Analysis (EPMA) and showed the zircon was very clean of impurities with an average ZrO2 content of 66.1% Mineral processing studies indicated;○ The sample was ground to 100% passing 53 um to ensure zircon liberation○ Iron oxides in the sample were predominantly magnetite. Davis Tube and Low Intensity Magnetic Separation (LIMS) removed iron as a high grade iron oxide concentrate○ Wet High Intensity Magnetic Separation (WHIMS) at a magnetic intensity of 15,000 Gauss successfully recovered 70-85% of the light and heavy REEs into the magnetic concentrate in ~10% of the feed mass with only 11% zircon loss.○ The WHIMS tails were floated under different conditions in a series of 5 tests. A fatty-acid collector was effective at zircon concentration while addition of a benzohydroxamic acid collector improved rejection of silica The combination of LIMS, WHIMS and Flotation yielded the following results including float test 5. Float test 5 included 4 stages of open circuit cleaning. Product Mass, % Analysis, % Distribution, % ZrO2 SiO2 Fe2O3 ZrO2 SiO2 Fe2O3 LIMS Mag Conc. 8.7 1.09 10.9 87.4 2.2 1.3 73.7 WHIMS Mag Conc. 8.3 4.82 42.4 22.0 9.4 4.7 17.8 Float Rougher Conc. 14.4 22.2 62.1 2.26 74.6 12.1 3.2 Float 4th Clean Conc. 3.1 43.0 36.4 1.14 31.3 1.5 0.3 Head (direct) 4.26 73.0 9.80 &nbs...