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.