KWG Resources optimistic about chromite smelting technique
TORONTO (miningweekly.com) – Ring of Fire-focused project proponent KWG Resources on Wednesday said that more laboratory tests on reducing chromite ore from its Black Horse deposit using natural gas had been completed and provided “substantial encouragement” that the newly developed method might be used to convert the Black Horse chromite into a metallised chrome and iron alloy.
During these tests by Glencore affiliate XPS Consulting & Testwork Services, the chromite, blended with suitable solid carbon as reductant, was reduced in the solid state at atmospheric pressure, using reformed natural gas, to produce the alloy.
Reactions started at 900 °C when a suitable accelerant was used to enhance the reactions – a substantially lower temperature than is usual for chromite ores. The time required for the reductants to convert the oxide ore to alloy was also found to be substantially less than one hour – much faster than what established direct reduction methods have produced.
Based on these tests only, preliminary estimates provided in a report indicated that “very substantial” energy savings could be achieved.
KWG said that the study suggested that overall direct energy costs to process one tonne of concentrate into metallised ferrochrome alloy were less than half that required for conventional technology.
Further, the process had a considerably lower greenhouse gas emission footprint and a significantly reduced impact on the environment. Capital costs were expected to be significantly lower than that for conventional processes using electric energy.
The company was currently pursuing an international patent for the method.
KWG’s TSX-listed stock rose 7.69% on Wednesday to C$0.07 apiece.
Comments
Research Reports
Projects
Latest Multimedia
Latest News
Showroom
SmartMine IoT has been developed with the mining industry in mind, to provides our customers with powerful business intelligence and data modelling...
VISIT SHOWROOM
Rentech provides renewable energy products and services to the local and selected African markets. Supplying inverters, lithium and lead-acid...
VISIT SHOWROOM
Press Office
Announcements
What's On
Subscribe to improve your user experience...
Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):
Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):
All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors
including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.
Already a subscriber?
Forgotten your password?
Receive weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine (print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
➕
Recieve daily email newsletters
➕
Access to full search results
➕
Access archive of magazine back copies
➕
Access to Projects in Progress
➕
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA
R4500 (equivalent of R375 a month)
SUBSCRIBEAll benefits from Option 1
➕
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports on various industrial and mining sectors, in PDF format, including on:
Electricity
➕
Water
➕
Energy Transition
➕
Hydrogen
➕
Roads, Rail and Ports
➕
Coal
➕
Gold
➕
Platinum
➕
Battery Metals
➕
etc.
Receive all benefits from Option 1 or Option 2 delivered to numerous people at your company
➕
Multiple User names and Passwords for simultaneous log-ins
➕
Intranet integration access to all in your organisation
