EVNi Clean Nickel(TM) R&D - Carbon Capture Results Beat Expectations, Great Potential for Carbon Mineralization and Storage – Advancing to Pilot Plant Testing - Seite 2

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Passive Analysis- Direct Air Capture testing

Ambient carbonation, using naturally occurring CO₂ levels, referred to as direct air capture ("DAC"), in the atmosphere mimics natural processes but increases the exposure of the minerals to the reactive CO₂. Prior to testing, samples from the CarLang A Zone were assessed for their total inorganic carbon ("TIC") content. This TIC was then tracked to determine the quantity of CO₂ sequestered by the sample through the test. The samples were homogenized and then acidified, releasing the gaseous CO_{2 ,} that was measured using a photodetector. The experiment was completed after 21 days and the amount of CO₂ chemically bound was measured by analyzing the TIC in the sample and then netting out the original content of TIC. The measurement of chemically bound CO₂ were roughly in agreement with the calculated brucite content of each sample (see Figure 2). Selected samples d156202 and f465375 yielded TIC increases of 8.3 and 6.7 kg CO₂ per tonne of tailings.

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Enriched Analysis- injecting a concentrated CO₂ stream

Mineralization injection testing was completed with samples injected with 10% CO2 at a flow rate of 80mL/minute. Samples weighing 0.5g were collected after 2 and 7 days during the week-long experimental duration. TIC was analyzed on the material before exposure to CO2 and on the intermediate and final samples to assess the amount of carbon mineralization over time.

The brucite-bearing samples increased dramatically in TIC within the first 48 hours, continuing to capture CO2 over the remaining 5 days at a reduced rate. Results from the Enriched analysis were consistent on a relative basis with the Passive experiments. It was demonstrated that brucite reacts readily in atmospheric conditions, but reacts fully in higher CO₂ conditions, in days versus months (see Figure 3). At the end of 7 days, samples d156202 and f465375 had captured 40.4 and 38.3 kg CO₂ per tonne of tailings.

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It was concluded by Arca that regardless of the approach taken to achieve carbonation, tailings from the Shaw Dome project have been shown to have significant carbon mineralization potential in proportion to the mine's emissions. Based on the impressive results from the CarLang samples with the Enriched Analysis, EVNi will develop a parallel workstream with the technical Pilot Plant, to commercially explore sourcing high CO₂ gas.