Category: Rare earths

Highlights

• Two kilograms of pre-sintered permanent magnets successfully produced from ASM’s high-purity neodymium-iron-boron (NdFeB) powder
• Magnetic properties and quality confirmed by the Korean Institute of Rare Metals (KIRAM)

ASM reports that the Korean Institute of Rare Metals (KIRAM) has successfully produced and tested two kilograms of pre-sintered permanent magnets from ASM’s high-purity neodymium-iron-boron (NdFeB) powder from its pilot plant in Korea.

KIRAM’s testing provides a strong indication that ASM’s NdFeB alloy is suitable to produce rare earth permanent magnets that are commercially in demand. This certification is further validation of ASM’s strategy to become an independent, fully integrated “mine to manufacturer” producer of critical metals.

ASM managing director, David Woodall said, “The excellent support and collaborative work between the Ziron Tech and KIRAM teams delivered a truly significant result. It provides ASM with confidence that our integrated business model – from the Dubbo Project to metals production – can play an important part in the Korean Government’s ‘New Green Deal’.

“We now have confirmation of the quality and high purity of the permanent magnet alloy and titanium powders ASM can deliver to the Korean industry and eventually the global markets. ASM is now planning to advance in the next few months with the detailed engineering, incorporating both the recently produced titanium and now the permanent magnet powders as part of an initial 5,200 tonnes per year plant in Korea, projected to be fully operational by mid-2022. This is a very significant transition for the company as we continue to progress the development of the Dubbo Project in the central western, NSW.”

Methodology

KIRAM scientists made a strip-cast sample using five kilograms of the NdFeB powder produced by ASM’s Ziron Tech team. The strip was then examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (EDS) to confirm the microstructure (Figure 1) and magnetic orientation.

Some of the Ziron Tech NdFeB alloy was pressed into a two-kilogram block to measure the magnetic characteristics using VSM (Vibrating Sample Magnetometry) and compared with a similar sample made from a commercially available alloy. These tests (Figure 2) indicated that ASM’s pre-sintered magnet exhibited superior magnetic properties than the commercial sample.

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Highlights

• ASM produced 6kg of a neodymium iron boron (NdFeB) alloy at the Korean Institute of Rare Metals (KIRAM) facility.
• KIRAM has certified the metallic structure and ratio of key metals (Nd: Fe: B = 32%: 67%: 1%) of the key NdFeB permanent magnet alloy.
• ASM continues to work on the potential for establishing a full scale metal processing facility that would include production of the NdFeB alloy.

ASM has produced 6kg of a neodymium iron boron (NdFeB) alloy at the Korean Institute of Rare Metals (KIRAM) facility in Korea. The NdFeB alloy was manufactured from the FeNd alloy produced by ASM’s metallisation pilot plant.

NdFeB is a key rare earth permanent magnet alloy. KIRAM has certified the metallic structure and ratio of key metals (Nd: Fe: B = 32%: 67%: 1%) of the alloy, confirming its suitability for rare earth permanent magnet production. KIRAM is a division of KITECH, the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology, which is a South Korean government research institute.

With the successful production of 6kg of the NdFeB alloy, ASM and KIRAM will continue the production of an additional approximately 7kg of NdFeB alloy for conversion into an initial permanent magnet samples for evaluation by Korean industry.

ASM continues to assess the potential of developing a higher-volume continuous metal production facility in 2021. The successful production of the NdFeB alloy gives ASM further confidence in its capability to produce this permanent magnet alloy at the metal facility, which would be situated in Korea (ASX 2 November 2020).

ASM Managing Director, David Woodall said: “The successful production of this NdFeB alloy is an important milestone for ASM, and paves the way for integrating production of key rare earth permanent magnet alloys into our developing metals business. Our team is working closely with KIRAM, a key research group in Korea, to gain certification of the alloy. In the coming months, we’ll produce further sample permanent magnets for the Korean market
review.

“ASM is now focused on assessing the potential for development of a metals processing plant in Korea. In addition to laying the foundation for a potential metals business, which would include metals from our Dubbo Project, we continue to progress offtake and strategic partner agreements.”

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Highlights:

• ASM produces 7.5kg of heavy rare earth dysprosium metal
• Dysprosium metal assay – 99.53%
• Metallisation of ferro-dysprosium and zirconium progressing

ASM, through its partner Ziron Technology Corporation (Ziron Tech), has successfully produced 7.5 kg of a high purity dysprosium metal at its commercial pilot plant in South Korea.

After producing 0.76 kg of the heavy rare earth metal last month, this second run confirms that it can be done at scale, marking the completion of the final key permanent magnet metals to be produced at the Ziron Tech facility. ASM has now produced neodymium, praseodymium, neodymium praseodymium alloy and dysprosium, all key for permanent magnets, through the commercial pilot plant using its innovative metallisation process.

Work has commenced on the production of ferro-dysprosium and zirconium metals. These are anticipated to be the final products metallised from material sourced from the Dubbo Project in central west NSW.

ASM Managing Director, David Woodall said: “ASM is progressing further in its development to become an integrated mine to metal business, with the successful production of the heavy rare earth metal, dysprosium. With the production of these key permanent magnets metals and metal alloys, and the development of zirconium metal production, ASM is one step closer to converting all products from the Dubbo Project into value-adding metals.”

“Our focus is now on commencing the design and construction of a 250 kg per day continuous metal plant in Korea. This is the first phase of our strategy to develop a 3,000-5,000 tonne per year plant designed to meet some of the demand for critical materials in the Korean manufacturing sector. ASM continues to advance discussions for a potential partner in the metal business,” Mr Woodall said.

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Highlights:

• ASM produces 0.76kg of heavy rare earth metal dysprosium (Dy)
• Dysprosium assay – 99.6%
• Metallisation process proven for the Dubbo Project’s key permanent magnet rare earth products (dysprosium, praseodymium and neodymium)

ASM, through its partner Ziron Technology Corporation (Ziron Tech), has successfully produced high purity dysprosium (Dy) metal in its laboratory at the Ziron Tech facility.

This work using the ASM metallisation process has confirmed ASM’s ability to produce the key permanent magnet metals (dysprosium, praseodymium and neodymium) and alloys that will be sourced from its Dubbo Project in central west NSW.

ASM Managing Director, David Woodall said: “This is a significant result given the temperatures required for the production of dysprosium metal. Our team has now successfully produced the key permanent magnet rare earth products (dysprosium, praseodymium and neodymium metals and alloys) which will be supplied from our Dubbo Project.”

“Now that the protocol for the production of dysprosium metal has been completed, our team led by Professor Lee, will focus on the production the ferro-dysprosium alloy, which is key in the production of high-temperature NdFeB magnets. Our focus now is to produce zirconium metal by the end of September, Mr Woodall said.

The ASM metallisation process uses significantly less energy and has less impact on the environment than existing industry-standard metallisation processes. This innovative process has been used to produce metals of the planned products from ASM’s Dubbo Project including zirconium, hafnium, and rare earths for permanent magnet alloys in the laboratory. Titanium and the key rare earth permanent magnet metals neodymium and praseodymium have been produced in the commercial pilot plant with dysprosium and zirconium scheduled for later this month. ASM and Ziron Tech continue to finalise the detailed documentation in relation to the acquisition of Ziron Tech with the transaction expected to be completed by the end of October 2020.

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Highlights:

• ASM has produced 9kg of Neodymium Praseodymium (NdPr) alloy at commercial pilot plant in Korea
• The NdPr assayed 99.65%
• ASM progressing the production of 200kg of NdPr metal as part of an initiative between Ziron Tech and the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology (KITECH) to produce a 600kg sample of permanent magnets for Korean industry
• ASM continues discussions with Korean government and industry to support supply chain self-sufficiency

Australian Strategic Materials (ASX: ASM) (ASM) has successfully produced 9kg of the key permanent magnet alloy Neodymium Praseodymium (NdPr) at its commercial pilot plant in South Korea. Following this success ASM, through Ziron Tech, is progressing an agreement with the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology (KITECH) (a South Korean government research institute) to produce a sample 600kg of permanent magnets for Korean industry over the coming months.

ASM’s success with the production of titanium and key permanent magnet metals (neodymium and praseodymium) at its commercial pilot plant, using its patented high purity metallisation process, has resulted in continued interest from leading Korean companies and government organisations.

This success in the metal production led to ASM agreeing to acquire its joint venture partner, Ziron Tech, on 3 September to continue the development of their clean metallisation process and production of sample permanent magnets for the Korean industry.

ASM Managing Director, David Woodall said: “Over the past few weeks whilst I have been in South Korea, we have had some important discussions with Korean companies and government around ASM’s metallisation technology and the Dubbo Project. Working with KITECH, a respected and leading innovation group in Korea to produce samples of permanent magnets is an important step in ASM’s commercialisation strategy.”

“Korea imports rare earths magnets and has a strong desire to ensure security of supply of these critical materials to their domestic manufacturing sector. This sample production run is set to provide a framework for increased domestic production to help support their local industry. To progress this, ASM will produce the 200kg of NdPr required for the production of the 600kg sample permanent magnets.”

Director Dr. Lim, Kyung Mook of the Korea Institute for Rare Metals (KIRAM) a KITECH division said: “We welcome ASM as a member of the Korean Rare Earth Institute and we are pleased to work with Ziron Tech under the joint research and development for rare earth alloy production. With our close collaboration with Ziron Tech we are enthusiastic to proceed with rare earth magnet production testing using the metal availability from Ziron Tech.”

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Highlights:

• Praseodymium metal successfully produced at Korean pilot plant
• Commercial pilot plant produces 5.3 kg Pr metal assaying 99.3 %
• Confirmation of patented metal production method for permanent magnet metals
• Forward plan for Commercial Pilot Plant production of Neodymium / Praseodymium and Dysprosium metal in August

ASM’s joint venture has produced high purity praseodymium metal (99.3 %) at its commercial pilot plant in South Korea, marking the final testing stage of the patented metallisation process for permanent magnet metals. ASM will now progress to the production of dysprosium metal and to alloying the key permanent magnet metal neodymium / praseodymium (NdPr).

To date, ASM’s Korean joint venture with Ziron Tech has seen successful production of titanium metal and the key permanent magnet metals of neodymium and praseodymium through its commercial pilot plant. Of great importance, the patented process does not have negative environmental impacts that exist in the current supply chain of these critical materials.

ASM Managing Director, David Woodall said: “It has been a real privilege to be in Korea at this time and see the commercial pilot plant and team in action. These metals are essential for advanced technologies, including electric vehicles and clean energy. The production of these key permanent magnet metals brings ASM a step closer to being an integrated “mine to metals” producer.

“ASM has an exclusive worldwide licence to commercialise this clean and environmentally responsible metal-refining technology. We embrace and look to engage with countries, like Korea, that have a vision to move away from the less sustainable traditional production methods.

“This significant result provides a strong base for ASM to progress opportunities with various government and business groups to supply critical materials to Korean industry efficiently and with responsibility to the environment.

“The same could apply to Australia, with ASM currently the only potential integrated supplier of these critical metals, that could support the development of a new technologies’ manufacturing sector in Australia, creating employment and providing a supply base to Australia.”

ASM continues to progress on its 2020 objective to deliver an integrated metals business inclusive of the metallisation and an optimised Dubbo Project in central west, NSW. ASM is advancing the development of its integrated metals plan within Korea and globally. ASM’s Dubbo Project remains ready for construction with all major approvals and licences in place, an established extraction process flow sheet and a solid business case.

The JV with Ziron Tech connects ASM directly with leading South Korean companies, building customer relationships for off-take contracts under the South Korea-Australia free trade agreement, and strengthening the economics of the Dubbo Project.

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Highlights:

• Successful production of 7.6 kg of neodymium metal
• Assay confirms neodymium produced is at 99.8% purity
• Metal purity is higher than typically traded neodymium metal
• Validation of the patented carbon-free metallisation technology for rare earth metals

ASM’s Korean JV partner, Ziron Tech, has successfully completed the first production run of neodymium (Nd) metal in its commercial pilot plant. The production of 7.6 kg of neodymium metal assaying 99.8 per cent Nd from its patented reduction process in South Korea. The metal has been produced at a higher purity than typically traded neodymium metal.

ASM continues to progress a metalisation program using its innovative low emission, high purity metal refining technology to produce metals of zirconium, titanium, rare earths and other critical materials used for the renewable energy, speciality alloys and permanent magnet markets.

ASM’s JV is advancing the final commissioning of the electro-refining plant and is currently progressing the production of other key metals including zirconium, praseodymium, and dysprosium; which are all essential for the new technologies and advanced manufacturing markets in Australia and globally.

As previously advised, the commissioning of the electrorefining section of the pilot plant is progressing well. This process is expected to produce high purity (99.9%) titanium metal with results expected in August 2020. Further pilot plant runs are planned to produce additional neodymium, dysprosium, praseodymium, as well as other Dubbo products, in metallic form.

Australian Strategic Materials Managing Director, David Woodall said:

“This is a significant result for ASM, as this process has resulted in the production of neodymium metal at a higher purity than typically traded. My team and I have travelled to South Korea to discuss the significant potential of ASM’s integrated strategy with various Korean government and business groups. This also allows me to see the progress made by the great Ziron Tech team and to celebrate this major milestone with them.

Our strategy of integrating the products from our Dubbo Project into metals that can deliver to end use customers continues as we progress clean metal production and secure the financing needed for project development.

It is possible that a standalone clean metal plant could be built in Korea to feed critical metals to Korean industry, but also possible that another clean metal plant could be located within Australia to feed critical metals for advanced Australian manufacturing.”

Today marks the first day as a standalone ASX listed entity for ASM, trading as ASX:ASM.

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