Locksley Resources (ASX:LKY) has entered into a sponsored research agreement with ivy league Columbia University in New York to develop advanced, sustainable processing technologies for rare earths and critical metal recovery.
The research will integrate artificial intelligence-driven ore characterisation, innovative electrochemical recovery, and CO2 assisted mineral processing to address limitations of traditional non-US processing methods.
As part of the agreement, detailed mineralogical, compositional, and morphological studies of rare earth element-bearing ores using advanced spectroscopy and microscopy techniques will be conducted. These activities will inform processing design.
A technology development and field deployment strategy will also be carried out.
Locksley, which has a market capitalisation of $96.6 million, will advance project funding of US$150,000 ($229,861) over the next 12 months to support the development of the intellectual property under the agreement.
CEO Kerrie Matthews says the collaboration expands on the research partnerships into rare earths and complements the work with Rice University on antimony.
“Together, these programs significantly strengthen the technical foundation of our US mine-to-market strategy and broaden our exposure to emerging American developed processing technologies,” Matthews says.
“The alignment of this work with current US Government priorities, including the Department of Energy’s recent US$355 million funding initiatives, enhances our ability to engage with suitable programs as we progress towards pilot-scale development.”
Several near-term activities are scheduled to initiate the technical and commercial workstreams. This includes shipment of ore and concentrate samples from the Mojave Project to Columbia for advanced mineralogical and electrochemical analysis, as well as joint preparations of applications for suitable funding initiatives.
Both parties will also have a first governance meeting this month and establish program parameters and IP protocols. Monthly meetings will also take place to ensure strong alignment between academic research and Locksley’s US mine-to-market commercialisation strategy.
Locksley Resources is a critical minerals-focused company with assets located in the US.
Write to Aaliyah Rogan at Mining.com.au
Images: Locksley Resources
