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- Aston Minerals (ASO) reports excellent recoveries and saleable nickel-cobalt concentrate from initial metallurgical testing at the Boomerang nickel-cobalt target in Canada
- Conventional flotation concentration techniques on disseminated mineralisation present in a Bardwell drill hole, with 71.7 per cent of nickel recovered to rougher flotation concentrate
- The concentrate grade included 11.29 per cent nickel and 38.2 per cent iron with a 60 per cent nickel recovery on open circuit basis through rougher flotation and three stage cleaning circuit
- Analysis is reported to be underway across lower grade mineralisation to determine beneficiation characteristics
- ASO shares are trading steady at 14.5 cents as of 2:14 pm AEST
Aston Minerals (ASO) has reported excellent recoveries and saleable nickel-cobalt concentrate from initial metallurgical testwork from the Boomerang nickel-cobalt target.
Boomerang is part of Aston’s Edleston project which is located approximately 60 kilometres via road to the south of Timmins in Ontario, Canada.
Initial work began in the March quarter and represented the first beneficiation testing conducted on nickel-cobalt sulphide mineralisation from the Bardwell prospect within the Boomerang target.
Conventional flotation concentration techniques was used on disseminated mineralisation present in drill hole DDED21-076 with 71.7 per cent of nickel recovered to rougher flotation concentrate.
The concentrate grade included 11.29 per cent nickel, 38.2 per cent iron and 8.2 per cent magnesium oxide with a 60 per cent nickel recovery on open circuit basis through rougher flotation and three stage cleaning circuit.
From analysis of petrography and level of slimes produced, it appears that coarser grind size optimisation is required with other testing currently underway.
Managing Director Dale Ginn believes that the results are comparable to the metallurgical recoveries of existing substantial nickel sulphide operations globally.
“We are incredibly encouraged by the results and have identified multiple opportunities to improve upon the results including a combination of coarsening the grind size, grinding after flotation and utilisation of magnetic separation of the slimes produced from primary crushing,” Mr Ginn said.
Analysis is reported to be underway across lower grade mineralisation to determine beneficiation characteristics.
Optimisation of all metallurgical parameters underway and further updates to be provided on regular basis over the next 12 months.
Testing conducted at XPS Expert Process Solutions, a Glencore company, located at the
XPS Technology Centre in Falconbridge in Ontario.
ASO shares were trading steady at 14.5 cents as of 2:14 pm AEST.
