Generating 1000 g of Ultrapure Scandium Oxide

In the second stage pilot, Core constructed and operated a Solvent Extraction (SX) pilot plant, with a specialised process specific design, at our laboratory facilities in Albion, Brisbane. The client supplied 14 000 L of PLS, and the SX pilot operated for 14 days continuously to process this liquor. Staffing consisting of 2 person crews, with 24 hour coverage, was supplied for the pilot. Core undertook all risk assessment, hazard management and staff training responsibilities. The pilot produced 1,500 L of strip liquor which was refined over several iterations to generate 1 kg of ultrapure Scandium Oxide product (>99.99%). Core’s in house analytical laboratory developed new analytical techniques to provide accurate analysis of this high grade product.

A third fully integrated and continuous large scale SX & precipitation circuit was then conducted off site by Core at a facility designated by the client. This pilot treated 19 000 L of liquor over 19 days, with 24 h coverage of 4 person crews. Over 1 000 L of loaded strip liquor was generated, and run continuously through the purification plant. The pilot was run in continuous mode, with barren strip liquor successfully recirculated through the SX plant.