Highlights
- 5kg HPA US marketing sample has returned an assay of 5N (99.999%) purity from internationally
recognised materials testing company Eurofins EAG Laboratories.
- This is an excellent result given that the Lava Blue demonstration plant only included a single stage of
purification/crystallisation whilst QPM’s commercial plant design has two stages.
- With independent assays completed, marketing samples are now ready for distribution to potential
offtakers in the US.
Queensland Pacific Metals Ltd (“QPM” or “the Company”) is pleased to present an update on
its high purity alumina (“HPA”) marketing initiatives.
5N HPA Assays
As previously announced, QPM and Lava Blue produced six ~10kg blends in the first campaign of the Lava
Blue HPA Demonstration Plant. Previous analysis of these samples undertaken at Lava Blue’s Predictive
Research into Speciality Materials (“PRISM”) facility return results trending towards 5N purity.
For transport purposes, each of the six blends were split into two ~5kg batches and a composite sample
taken. Once arriving in the United States, internationally recognised materials testing company Eurofins
EAG Laboratories were engaged to assay two of the 5kg batches (Blend 4 of 6) as being representative of
the total material.
Blend 4, which was split into Batch 4-1 and Batch 4-2, returned exceptional assays. Batch 4-1 assayed at
99.99916% purity and Batch 4-2 assayed at 99.9988% purity. Another important assay result is that chloride
was <1 ppm. This is important because it confirms complete conversion to HPA and provides full recovery
of chloride back into the process.
This is an outstanding result demonstrating the potential to produce 5N HPA which sells at a premium to
4N HPA. The HPA marketing samples produced at the PRISM facility only went through one stage of
purification and crystallisation. QPM’s commercial design in its feasibility study included two stages of
purification and crystallisation, which will facilitate higher purity alumina production in the TECH Project –
both to attract a commercial premium and to make the QPM HPA production very robust.
With independent laboratory certification complete, the samples are now ready for distribution to potential
offtakers.
