JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Aim-listed Bushveld Minerals reported on Wednesday that a pyrometallurgical testwork programme for the beneficiation of the main magnetite layer (MML) at its vanadium deposit, in Limpopo, was progressing well and continued to advance the project’s ongoing scoping study.

The testwork would evaluate two alternative proven processing routes – the salt roast process to produce vanadium pentoxide flakes or ferrovanadium and the smelting process to produce pig iron or steel and high-grade vanadium slag.

The company said in an operational update that it had recently completed modelling of the smelting beneficiation route, which would entail pre-reduction in rotary kilns, smelting in electric arc furnaces and vanadium extraction from the hot metal through a shaking ladle circuit. 

Testwork continued on the salt roast beneficiation route.

The explorer reported that the modelling exercise had yielded positive results, with the favourable vanadium grade of MML concentrate supporting production of a premium-grade vanadium slag following pig iron production and vanadium extraction.

The study further indicated that 370 kg of pig iron and 35 kg of high-grade vanadium slag could be obtained from every ton of MML concentrate processed.

In addition, the re-reduction of MML ore to proven levels of metallisation and hot-charging the pre-reduced ore to the furnaces could reduce electricity consumption by some 70%, which offered significant cost-saving implications for the project.

Meanwhile, previous modelling work on nonfluxed smelting of concentrate from the company’s P-Q Zone deposit had shown it was possible to obtain a slag containing some 60% titanium dioxide – levels amenable to further upgrading.

Bushveld Minerals last week announced a 442-million-ton maiden Joint Ore Reserves Committee-compliant phosphate resource at an average grade of 3.6% for its P-Q Zone deposit.

Commenting on the results, CEO Fortune Mojapelo said the company was fortunate to have two proven processing route options for the MML deposit, both of which were currently being used on the Bushveld Complex.

“The scoping study currently under way will assist us in determining which route is optimal. We are pleased that modelling on the smelting route has yielded the positive results reported today, and we look forward to providing results on the salt roast processing route and completing the scoping study on this world-class deposit,” he said.