Critica (ASX:CRI) has reported new advancements in the beneficiation pathway at the Jupiter Rare Earth Project in Western Australia, with pilot plant results upgrading the feed material by 14 times to a concentrate of around 3% total rare earth oxides (TREO).
The results demonstrate continued progress in the beneficiation process, with around 95% mass rejection achieved while maintaining strong magnet rare earth element (REE) recoveries.
The pilot plant test work concentrated rare earth minerals into about 5% of the original feed mass, supporting lower projected operating and capital intensity for downstream processing.
Magnet rare earth recoveries maintained neodymium oxide at 74.5%, dysprosium oxide at 74.7%, praseodymium oxide at 69.3%, and terbium oxide at 65.9%.
CEO Jacob Deysel says the beneficiation improvements and advancements in magnet rare earth oxide production, along with the pilot plant optimisation work, are leading to “higher grade intermediate concentrate from the same feed material”.
“Achieving an intermediate concentrate grading of approximately 3% TREO, representing a ~14x upgrade and approximately 95% mass rejection, demonstrates continued progress in Jupiter’s beneficiation pathway and the ability to significantly reduce downstream processing volumes,” Deysel says.
“Notwithstanding the size of the Jupiter resource, the significance of these results is not only the upgrade achieved, but the quality and repeatability of the outcome.
“We are consistently concentrating magnet REEs into a materially reduced processing stream while maintaining strong recoveries — exactly what a scalable and financeable flowsheet needs to demonstrate as we progress Scoping Study work and product qualification.”
The latest advancements build on previously reported beneficiation recovery figures and mixed rare earth oxide results, which validate Critica’s flowsheet from feedstock through to mixed rare earth product and strengthen confidence in the scalability of the process.
Moving forward, Critica is focused on the continued beneficiation optimisation, developing downstream processing pathways, and producing more higher grade intermediate concentrate for downstream test work.
The company continues to refine the inputs and processes for the Scoping Study and is focused on producing a final magnet rare earth oxide product sample for qualification.
Critica is advancing the Jupiter Project in Western Australia, Australia’s largest clay-hosted rare earth resource.
Write to Amy Rotman at Mining.com.au
Images: Critica
