Results to date have shown that:
- Hydrochloric acid can be recovered at a strength of 34%. This is
significantly better than any conventional acid recovery process
currently being operated, such as pyrohydrolysis which is used in the
steel industry.
- Up to 90% of the iron can be precipitated as highly crystalline
hematite. The hematite produced is "black hematite" which is a very
pure form of hematite. The iron content of the precipitates has
varied from 67% to 71% iron. The precipitates show no trace of
chloride, or base metals, making this material a very suitable feed
for a steelmaking process.
- The precipitated solids have a moisture content of only 10%,
demonstrating that they filter and wash very well. This significantly
aids the water balance of the hydrometallurgical plant.
- Since no base metals are detected in the final iron solids, it will
be possible to remove most of the iron from the circuit without
incurring any loss of base metals. This compares very favourably with
existing hydrometallurgical processes.
Now, its great that mgt wants to continue with Utems, vtems & testing the property
to increase the tonnage which has always been mgts concern.
My concern is not WHAT we have to mine but rather HOW we are going
to mine it.
A further concern is a board of directors in a 1950's mind set
for mining with a 21st century technology before them.
Presently we have goverments- world wide gov'ts willing to
hand out monies, grants, for leading technologies.
"Carbon credits" is the current catch phrase.
"Green technology" is at the forefront and a multi national concern.
And SRU is stuck with a 1950s board mentality.
We need to move out of that mindset
we need an active board and a reactive board that can take
this 21st century technology out of the lab & into the real world.
The time to act is now.
Along with Ferguson Lake there are many properties out there with potentially large resources
that will lay dormant without this hydromet or some other process.
And I am reasonably sure that some other enterprising company
is currently working on something similar!
Therefore, the time to act is now!
Time and this Process are what we have, now.
Time, is slowly slipping away..................
Tom Kundrat
