Surefire Resources NL (ASX:SRN) has delivered encouraging results from test work, confirming the synthesis and production of 4N high purity alumina (HPA) from its Victory Bore Vanadium Project in Western Australia.
The highest purity achieved in the process so far is 99.992%, with expectations for further optimisations to improve these promising initial results and, in turn, add value to the vanadium project.
The high concentration of aluminium oxide present in the waste rock provides Surefire with a substantial advantage, presenting a potential low-cost feedstock opportunity for high-value HPA production.
Market demand for 4N HPA is robust, with widespread applications including coatings for lithium-ion battery separators, LED production and synthetic sapphire production.
“Adds significant value”
Surefire managing director Paul Burton said: “This successful test work result adds significant value to the company’s Victory Bore deposit.
“HPA from such a host rock raises important possibilities for the company’s future development strategy.
“We will now consider the feasibility of HPA production in the development plans for the Victory Bore Vanadium Project.”
Broadens scope of operations
In an effort to broaden the scope of its operations, Surefire enlisted the expertise of Lava Blue Ltd in March with the goal to explore the potential for HPA production as a value-added product from its wholly-owned Victory Bore deposit.
The uniqueness of the Victory Bore deposit lies in its high aluminium oxide content in the waste rock, reaching grades of up to 31.4% Al2O3.
Additionally, Surefire Resources recently disclosed a maiden mineral resource estimate of 38 million tonnes at 23.3% Al2O3 over a section of the Victory Bore deposit.
This maiden resource offers a value-add possibility to the company's planned vanadium extraction operation and there is also potential to increase the resource subject to further drilling and assaying.
Forward plan
Surefire is exploring the additional value of another critical mineral with HPA in parallel with its plans to produce high-purity vanadium for the emerging Vanadium Redox Flow battery sector and other vanadium markets.
The conclusions by Lava Blue on this successful initial test work provided further recommendations on optimisation opportunities.
Surefire will now consider the next phase of test work and explore end-user commercial discussions.
The company is undertaking a pre-feasibility study (PFS) on the world-class Victory Bore Vanadium Project and will now consider incorporating these findings into that study, which is scheduled for completion by November 2023.