Resource Mining Corporation (ASX:RMI) Increased Efficiency for Organic Acid Leach

Perth, Sep 8, 2011 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Leaching efficiency for a new green-tech nickel recovery process has been increased by more than 65 per cent compared to traditional atmospheric acid leaching in trials conducted by innovative Perth-based minerals explorer Resource Mining Corporation (ASX:RMI).

The commercial laboratory scale test work has found the organic acid leaching process takes up to six hours compared to a up to 24 hours for a traditional inorganic acid operation.

"The relatively short leaching time will result in a significantly smaller processing plant compared to a traditional inorganic acid unit and this changes the cost dynamics for tropical nickel laterite deposits considerably," said Resource Mining Corporation Managing Director Warwick Davies.

The Wowo Gap saprolite with a nickel content in excess of 1.3 per cent has a leach time of less than eight hours before 80 per cent of the nickel is extracted compared to inorganic acid atmospheric methods where leach times are approximately 24 hours to extract similar quantities of Nickel.

Key parameters determined in the latest research include acid strength and free acid levels for optimum leaching, ore slurry density and residence time. Downstream processing testwork programs are being established for leached slurries to recover nickel and cobalt.

"Once the refinement work has been completed tests will begin on commercialisation aspects of the process including the recovery of the organic acid from the leachate after metal ions have been removed," said Mr Davies.

Contact

Warwick Davies Managing Director Ph: +61-8-9213-9400 M: +61-418-949-759 E: wd@resmin.com.au