Vancouver, Kelowna, Delta, BC – March 10, 2023 (Investorideas.com Newswire) Defense Metals Corp. (TSXV:DEFN) (OTCQB:DFMTF) has announced that its rare earth element (REE) extraction pilot plant has successfully produced a high-purity REE concentrate. The concentrate was produced from a bulk sample of the company’s Wicheeda Rare Earth Element Property in British Columbia, Canada.
The pilot plant was designed to test the effectiveness of a hydrometallurgical process to extract REEs from the Wicheeda Property. The process involves crushing the ore, leaching it with acid, and then separating the REEs from the other minerals in the ore. The resulting concentrate is then purified to produce a high-purity REE product.
The successful production of the high-purity REE concentrate is a significant milestone for Defense Metals Corp. and demonstrates the effectiveness of the company’s hydrometallurgical process. The company plans to use the pilot plant to further optimize the process and to produce larger quantities of REE concentrate for testing and marketing purposes.
Craig Taylor, CEO of Defense Metals Corp., commented on the successful pilot plant production, stating, “We are extremely pleased with the results of the pilot plant production. The high-purity REE concentrate produced is a testament to the effectiveness of our hydrometallurgical process and the quality of the Wicheeda Property. We look forward to continuing to optimize the process and to producing larger quantities of REE concentrate for testing and marketing purposes.”
Defense Metals Corp. is a mineral exploration company focused on the acquisition, exploration, and development of REE deposits. The company’s flagship property is the Wicheeda Rare Earth Element Property, which is located approximately 80 kilometers northeast of Prince George, British Columbia. The property has indicated mineral resources of 4.89 million tonnes grading 3.02% total rare earth oxides and inferred mineral resources of 12.1 million tonnes grading 2.90% total rare earth oxides.
