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Southern Silver Substantially Increases Zinc Recoveries and Grades in New Metallurgical Test Results; Generates Separate Copper Concentrate
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 19, 2018) - Southern Silver Explorat...
About this update from Southern Silver Exploration Corp.
[{"type":"text","content":"Southern Silver Substantially Increases Zinc Recoveries and Grades in New Metallurgical Test Results; Generates Separate Copper ConcentrateVancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 19, 2018) - Southern Silver Exploration Corp. (TSXV: SSV) (\"Southern Silver\") reported today that additional metallurgical test work on the Skarn Front deposit from the Cerro Las Minitas Project has resulted in both the successful separation of a potential \"saleable grade\" copper concentrate as well as the generation of a cleaner zinc concentrate grading above 50% zinc without sacrificing zinc, lead or silver recoveries.This most recent test work conducted on behalf of Southern Silver by Blue Coast Research of Parksville, British Columbia, complements and improves on earlier batch work tests (see NR-06-18, May 14, 2018) that generated high-grade lead and zinc concentrates from the Blind-El Sol deposits and a high-grade lead concentrate from the Skarn Front deposit. However, heavy dilution of the zinc concentrate by chalcopyrite resulted in lower than optimal recoveries and grades of zinc concentrate generated from the Skarn Front composite. The focus of this new test work was to optimize the flotation sequence, upgrade the zinc concentrate by removing the chalcopyrite and if possible, create a separate copper concentrate. The best results were achieved using a sequential float of Cu-Pb-Zn followed by subsequent cleaning of each concentrate. The test work on the Skarn Front composite recovered:67.7% Cu and 15.1% Ag into the copper concentrate assaying 27.9% Cu and 1661g/t Ag respectively after three stages of cleaning;85.2% Pb and 67.3% Ag into the lead concentrate assaying 60.8% Pb and 4596g/t Ag respectively after one stage of cleaning; and89% Zn and 8.2% Ag into the zinc concentrate assaying 50.7% Zn and 111g/t Ag respectively after three stages of cleaning. These test results are significant in that they produced a saleable copper concentrate and increased both the recovery of zinc and the grade of the zinc concentrate by approximately 10% over the earlier flotation test results (see NR-06-18). Silver strongly partitions into the lead and copper concentrates for a combined 82.4% Ag recovery in concentrates that traditionally receive favourable payable terms.These latest test results complement previously reported recoveries from ...