Carina Module Ionic Clays Arrive at Our Pilot Plant in Chile for Heavy Rare Earths Carbonate Production

TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / December 20, 2023 / Aclara Resources Inc. ("Aclara" or the "Company") (TSX:ARA) is pleased to announce that the 25-tonne shipment of ionic clays extracted from its Carina Module deposit located in Goiás, Brazil, (the "Project") has successfully arrived at its fully owned pilot plant facility in Concepción, Chile. The Company will start the piloting operation at the end of December and aims to complete it at the end of February 2024.

Piloting Objectives

• Semi-industrial scale processing: To assess the compatibility of the patented Circular Mineral Harvesting technology with the Carina Module ionic clays on a semi-industrial scale.
• Production of heavy rare earth carbonate samples for commercial purposes: To produce a premium heavy rare earths carbonate product and initiate discussions with potential separators and other commercial stakeholders.
• Optimization of processing flowsheet: To evaluate the process flowsheet modifications identified during the piloting campaign conducted in 2023 with the Penco Module ionic clays. The objective is to ensure these modifications facilitate the production of an end product that is more conducive to the subsequent Rare Earth Element (REE) separation stage.
• Continued demonstration of environmental attributes: Revalidate the Circular Mineral Harvesting methodology, wherein 95% of the water and 99% of the primary reagent (ammonium sulfate) employed in the extraction process are recycled, thereby preventing the generation of liquid residues and eliminating the necessity for a tailings storage facility.

Aclara COO, Barry Murphy, commented:

"Following the release of the mineral resource estimate for the Carina Module, we are looking to initiate commercial discussions while commencing the production of heavy rare earth carbonate samples over the next two months at our piloting facilities in Chile. We have confidence in the outstanding quality of this asset and remain dedicated to accelerating the project development process across all disciplines to expedite the asset's production at the earliest feasible time."

Foto: Accesswire

Fig. 1. Aclara's Pilot Plant in Concepcion, Chile and receipt of the ionic clay shipment from the Carina Module in Goiás, Brazil

This update follows the successful completion of our initial piloting operation for the Penco Module ionic clays in September of this year where a total of 120 tonnes of ionic clays were processed, leading to the production of approximately 107 kilograms of wet, high-purity Heavy Rare Earth Elements ("HREE") carbonate. The pilot operation also underscored the sustainability attributes inherent in Aclara's Circular Mineral Harvesting process.