Hawsons Iron (ASX:HIO) reports ‘encouraging’ results from testwork investigating the recovery of additional iron from waste streams at its Hawsons Iron Project near Broken Hill, New South Wales.
The wet high-intensity magnetic separation (WHIMS) test work recovered 75% of iron from the non-magnetic stream. The test work rejected 59.6% of silica and 67.5% of alumina.
According to Hawson, X-ray diffraction analysis indicates 87.8% of contained iron occurs in potentially recoverable iron oxide minerals. That finding supports the continued investigation of downstream beneficiation options.
Reverse flotation testing also confirmed the material responds to beneficiation. Hawsons aimed for a target grade of 55–60% iron (Fe) concentrate as part of its future work.
The company notes that this potential hematite concentrate would be produced separately from, and in addition to, the planned 10 million tonnes per annum of ‘high-grade’ magnetite concentrate targeting at least 69% Fe.
Managing Director Tom Revy describes the results as ‘encouraging’.
“[The results] show that a substantial portion of the iron in this stream is present as recoverable iron oxide minerals, principally hematite, rather than being structurally locked within gangue,” Revy says.
“The bench-scale wet high intensity magnetic separator result […] is a strong pre-concentration outcome.”
Hawson now intends to undertake follow-up work, comparing processing routes and optimising magnetic separation conditions and flotation reagents. The aim is to achieve the 55–60% Fe target grade.
“Our plan for the next phase of work will focus on improving the grade-recovery balance and establishing whether the opportunity can support a technically and commercially viable flowsheet,” Revy shares.
Hawson says this will run concurrently with the planned Feasibility Study without impacting timing.
The company notes that no estimate of additional production, revenue, or economic value can be made until follow-up work is completed.
“Importantly, the recovery of a potentially saleable hematite-rich product from this secondary process stream — alongside the production of our premium magnetite concentrate — would represent an innovative flowsheet application that we believe could be a world-first at the scale contemplated for the Hawsons Project,” Revy adds.
Hawsons Iron is a mineral developer focused on its flagship namesake iron project in NSW.
Write to Paula Fabe at Mining.com.au
Main image: Hawsons Iron
