NioCorp Succeeds in Producing Scandium Metal at Pilot-Scale as Part of its Aluminum-Scandium Master Alloy Initiative

NioCorp's Pilot-Scale Test Program Demonstrates an Environmentally Superior Process
for Producing Scandium Metal

Testing Now Proceeds to Producing Aluminum-Scandium Master Alloy, Which NioCorp Plans to Make in Conjunction with its Expected Production of ~100 Tonnes/Year of Scandium Oxide at the Elk Creek Critical Minerals Project in Nebraska, Once Project Financing is Obtained

CENTENNIAL, CO / ACCESSWIRE / August 14, 2023 / A phased program to establish U.S. commercial production of aluminum-scandium ("AlSc") master alloy took another step forward recently as NioCorp Developments Ltd. ("NioCorp" or the "Company") (NASDAQ:NB)(TSX:NB) and its development partner Nanoscale Powders LLC ("Nanoscale") successfully produced scandium metal at pilot-scale at a facility owned and operated by Creative Engineers in Pennsylvania.

Foto: Accesswire

The next step in the pilot-scale program is to produce kilogram-sized ingots of AlSc master alloy for independent testing and commercial product samples. The first of these AlSc master alloy ingots is expected to be produced in the coming weeks.

NioCorp and Nanoscale are employing a proprietary process developed by Nanoscale that increases efficiency and reduces environmental impacts of AlSc production over traditional approaches. Nanoscale has already developed similar metallurgical processes that are being applied to the production of rare earth metals of other operators, which behave metallurgically in a fashion similar to scandium.

Foto: Accesswire

AlSc master alloy, which generally contains 2% by weight scandium, is used to introduce scandium into aluminum for the purpose of producing various AlSc alloys, which generally contain a fraction of a percent scandium by weight. These alloys help to reduce weight, increase strength and corrosion resistance, and make the material weldable in automotive and mass transit, aerospace, defense, space and other systems. NioCorp's goal is to demonstrate the ability to make AlSc master alloy containing from 2% by weight scandium to as much as 10% by weight scandium.

"This successful test demonstrates that we can make scandium metal at a high-enough purity level to proceed directly to the pilot-scale production of kilogram-sized samples of aluminum-scandium master alloy," said Mark A. Smith, CEO and Executive Chairman of NioCorp. "The progress being made in this phased commercialization effort is important given the rapidly growing interest in scandium alloys across both the commercial transportation sector and in the national defense community."