Category: Titanium

Highlights

• Independent 3D-printed metal part producer HANA AMT has confirmed the high purity of ASM’s titanium powder
• A 75kg/day run of titanium (Ti) metal powder was successfully produced by Ziron Tech at a pilot scale (metal purity 99.918%)
• Significant environmental benefits of ASM’s novel metal process were confirmed by HANA AMT

ASM has received confirmation of its high-purity titanium powder from HANA AMT, a Korean 3D printing group. HANA AMT performed a detailed analysis of 20kg of the titanium powder, confirming a purity of 99.918%.

The titanium metal powder assayed came from a run of 75kg produced at ASM’s metallisation pilot plant during January 2021. ASM and HANA AMT have signed a non-disclosure agreement as they progress negotiations towards an initial 1,500 tonne per year offtake agreement for titanium metal powder.

Contributing to the progress of this agreement, the independent assay analysis of ASM’s titanium powders demonstrated the following comparison with industry standards (table 1):

Titanium Metal Powder
Elements	Industry Standard – %*	ASM Ti Powder – %
Ti	Balance	99.918
Fe	< 0.010	0.002
Al	< 0.005	0.003
Cr	< 0.005	0.003
Mo	< 0.005	0.001
Mn	< 0.005	0.001
Ni	< 0.005	0.002
Zr	< 0.005	0.001
Cu	< 0.005	0.003
Co	< 0.005	0.002
B	< 0.005	0.001
C	< 0.005	0.001
Ni	< 0.010	0.009
H	< 0.005	0.003
O	< 0.080	0.050

Table 1 – Assay Comparison completed by HANA AMT
* ASTM B299 – Standard Specification for Titanium

ASM managing director, David Woodall said, “This independent review of ASM’s titanium metal powder is a great validation of our patented metal process, confirming the high purity and the environmental benefits of the metal ASM can produce for the manufacturing sector in Korea. We look forward to progressing negotiations and continuing discussions with other potential offtake and strategic partners during our time in Korea.”

“Our team continues to work closely with the Korean Institute of Rare Metals (KIRAM) to produce sample permanent magnets for the Korean market to review over the coming weeks. This is a promising start of the year, with 2021 a foundation year for ASM, as we progress our vision to become a fully integrated critical metals producer – supplying metals from the mine direct to manufacturers, through the delivery of the Dubbo Project and the establishment of our metals business.”

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Highlights

• ASM produced 120kg of titanium copper alloy (99.5% purity), confirming the commercial scalability of its innovative metallisation process.
• Improvements to ASM’s metallisation process has doubled the metallic yield.
• ASM continues to work collaboratively with Dongkuk R&S, on the potential to develop a full-scale metal processing facility.

ASM has successfully confirmed the commercial scalability of its innovative metallisation process with the production of 120kg of titanium copper alloy (99.5% purity) at its facility in Korea. ASM’s Ziron Tech team produced two 60kg runs of the titanium copper alloy at a rate equivalent to approximately 1,000kg per day.

This result is significantly above the targeted 250kg per day production rate, outlined in the agreement between ASM and Dongkuk Refractories and Steel Co Ltd (DK R&S), announced on 2 November 2020.

The key to the successful demonstration of the commercial scalability was due to proprietary improvements to ASM’s unique metallisation process, which has seen the efficiency of metal recovery more than double than the initial test work in the pilot plant. This test work confirms the ability of ASM to produce any type of titanium alloy traded in the global metal market.

This increase in efficiency was delivered while maintaining the environmental advantages of ASM’s low-energy metallisation process, compared to the standard industry process. ASM will now focus on accelerating the development of a larger metals plant in Korea through its agreement with DK R&S. Members of DK R&S’s management and technical team were present to witness the successful metallisation run using the improved process.

ASM Managing Director, David Woodall said, “The successful commercial production run of titanium metal alloy is a significant result for the ASM team in Korea. What is even more pleasing is that this result was achieved using a proprietary improvement to our metallisation process, which has more than doubled the metal yield. We continue to discuss with DK R&S how we can accelerate the development of a metal processing plant in Korea.

“In addition to producing metal products from our Dubbo Project in central west NSW, ASM now has the potential to develop a significant business unit around titanium and other metals. This provides a tremendous foundation for ASM and its shareholders.”

 

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Highlights

• Titanium metal successfully produced through electro-refining process.
• Commercial pilot plant produces 9.16kg Ti metal powder assaying 99.83%.
• Confirmation of patented metal production method.
• Forward plan for Commercial Pilot Plant Dysprosium, Praseodymium and Zirconium metal in August.

ASM’s joint venture partner has produced high purity (99.83%) titanium metal powder through its new electro-refining process at the commercial pilot plant in South Korea. This was the final stage of the patented metal process that confirms 50% less energy is used than traditional methods. ASM will now focus on the production of dysprosium, praseodymium and zirconium metals in August.

ASM Managing Director, David Woodall said:

“ASM’s exclusive global licence to commercialise this clean metal-refining technology, replacing conventional energy-intensive and polluting metallisation processes with a more sustainable and cost-effective alternative is progressing extremely well and reinforces our “mine to metal” strategy.

“In addition to the valuable metal titanium, we have already proven production of a key permanent magnet metal – neodymium – with praseodymium and dysprosium production targeted for August, all essential for advanced technologies and manufacturing. This significant result provides a strong base for ASM to progress opportunities with various Korean government and business groups.”

“Whilst my team and I are in Korea, we are discussing the development of a clean metal plant in Korea to feed critical metals to Korean industry, as well as one in Australia to supply Australian manufacturing. This will position ASM as the only integrated mine-to-metal producer outside of China, providing critical materials directly to Australian and international manufacturers,” said Mr Woodall.

ASM’s 2020 objective is to deliver an integrated metals business inclusive of the metallisation and an optimised Dubbo Project. Given the increased revenues from the production of metals and flotation at the front end of the Dubbo flowsheet, our work is focused at increasing revenues and reducing project capital and operating costs. With all major approvals and licences in place, an established extraction process flow sheet and a solid business case, ASM’s Dubbo Project is ready for construction.

Our Ziron Tech JV is connecting ASM directly with leading South Korean companies, building customer relationships for offtake contracts under the South Korea-Australia free trade agreement. At the same time, ASM is progressing quickly on the development of its integrated metals plan with the strengthening the economics of the Dubbo Project and proving the clean metal process by the production of high purity metals.

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Highlights:

• Subsequent run of pilot plant produces another 22kg of titanium metal alloy
• This test run confirms this patented metal production method uses up to 50% less energy than current commercial production methods
• Electrorefining process to produce high purity (99.9%) titanium metal progressing with results expected in August

ASM’s Joint Venture (JV) with Korean R&D partner Ziron Tech has successfully produced another run of titanium metal alloy at the JV commercial pilot plant in South Korea. This subsequent run produced approximately 22kg and confirmed energy savings of up to 50% 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.

ASM 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.

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Highlights include:

• Commercial pilot plant commissioned on time and on budget
• ~30kg of titanium metal alloy was produced during the commissioning of the Commercial
  pilot plant
• In the next phase, the alloy will be used to produce high purity (99.9%) titanium metal via
  the Electro refining process
• The patented method of metal production utilizes 45% less power than current industry methods

ASM’s Korean research and development partner, Ziron Tech has successfully produced a titanium metal alloy with the patented reduction process at the JV’s commercial pilot plant in South Korea.

Typically, in metal production, energy costs accounted between 30 – 40% of total costs. The production of the titanium metal alloy utilising 45% less power indicates significant cost benefits to ASM’s integrated business strategy.

ASM’s Managing Director, David Woodall said: “This is a significant milestone in the development of our integrated business plan that includes clean metal production from the development of the Dubbo Project in Central West NSW. The clean metal technology can be applied to all the products from the Dubbo Project.”

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