Australian Strategic Materials’ (ASM) partner, ZironTech has successfully produced another run of titanium metal alloy at the joint venture (JV) commercial pilot plant in South Korea.

This subsequent run produced approximately 22 kilograms and confirmed energy savings of up to 50 per cent compared to current commercial production methods.

ASM is successfully progressing the pilot plant testwork on low emission, high purity metal technology to produce zirconium, titanium and rare earths for permanent magnet metals. The production of metals indicates significant cost benefits to ASM’s integrated business strategy and is key in the development of the Dubbo Project to supply critical materials.

The commissioning of the electrorefining section of the pilot plant is proceeding, which will produce ultra-high purity metal, including neodymium, praseodymium, other rare earth metals, zirconium and hafnium metal.

Australian Strategic Materials Managing Director, David Woodall said:

“Our progress towards an independent fully integrated ’mine to metal‘ business of critical materials is continuing very well.  ASM’s focus is to be a stable, secure and alternate supplier of clean metals for the domestic and global markets with the production of these metals coming from our Dubbo Project in Central West NSW. The clean metal technology can be applied to all the products from the Dubbo Project with our focus on the key critical materials of neodymium, dysprosium, zirconium, hafnium and praseodymium.”

“ASM management is currently in Korea to progress discussions on the commencement of a definitive feasibility of a clean metals plant and the progress of a joint Australian / Korean strategy that could ensure supply security and stability of these critical materials to the Australian and Korean manufacturing sectors.”.

ASM continues with the optimisation of the Dubbo Project through the integration of flotation into the proven flowsheet seeking improved project capital and operating costs.  ASM’s JV partner continues work which reinforces our metallisation strategy focussing on the products that will be sourced from the Dubbo Project.

On 16 July 2020, at an Alkane extraordinary general meeting, shareholders approved the demerger of ASM which will see ASM become a stand-alone ASX listed company with first Quotation expected on 30 July 2020.