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Ucore Announces RapidSX(TM) Commercialization and Development Facility; Kingston Process Metallurgy Awarded Contract as RapidSX(TM) Laboratory Partner
V.UCU | 21 minutes ago
American Critical-Materials Independence Starts Here.(TM)
Halifax, Nova Scotia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 23, 2020) - Ucore Rare Metals Inc. (TSXV:UCU) (OTCQX:UURAF) ("Ucore" or the "Company" is pleased to announce that further to the Company's June 18, 2020 announcement titled 'Strategic Update About Ucore, Innovation Metals and the RapidSX™ Technology', Ucore's wholly owned subsidiary, Innovation Metals Corp. ("IMC", has executed a binding agreement with Kingston Process Metallurgy Inc. ("KPM" to serve as IMC's long-term laboratory partner for the commercialization of the RapidSX™ technology. IMC's proprietary RapidSX™ technology is being developed for the cost-effective, bulk/commercial separation and purification of rare-earth elements ("REEs" - including both heavy REE ("HREEs" and light REEs ("LREEs" - for the production of REE oxides ("REOs", in addition to other critical metals, such as lithium ("Li", nickel ("Ni", and cobalt ("Co" for lithium-ion ("Li-ion" battery materials. Ucore is also pleased to announce that IMC has secured the premises for the RapidSX™ Commercialization and Development Facility ("CDF" in Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
IMC developed the RapidSX™ separation technology with the assistance of US$1.8 million in funding from the United States Department of Defense ("US DoD", resulting in the production of commercial-grade, separated REOs at the pilot scale. The technology combines the time-proven chemistry of conventional solvent extraction ("SX" with a new column-based platform, which significantly reduces time to completion and plant footprint, as well as potentially lowering capital and operating costs. SX is the international REE industry's standard commercial separation technology and is currently used by 100% of all REE producers worldwide for bulk commercial separation of both HREEs and LREEs.
Kingston Process Metallurgy - RapidSX™ Commercialization Laboratory Partner
KPM is IMC's laboratory partner and will be supporting all aspects of IMC's technical work to commence the RapidSX™ optimization and commercialization program to scale up the RapidSX™ technology. Established in 2002, KPM is a highly respected, industry-leading contract chemical-process development company based in Kingston, Ontario. With more than 40 employees, KPM specializes in commercial process development and optimization, with techno-economic and process modeling in parallel. KPM has the demonstrated expertise, multidisciplinary skills, and fundamental knowledge to develop concepts and solve unique challenges for its clients.
IMC's technical work will be led by IMC CEO and Ucore CTO and Director, Dr. Gareth Hatch, CEng, FRSA, FIMMM, FIET and IMC COO and Ucore VP of Metallurgy, Dr. Kurt Forrester, CEng, MIChemE, MAusIMM(CP). KPM principals Dr. Boyd Davis and Mr. Alain Roy will oversee the program of work at KPM and will directly manage the RapidSX™ CDF.
With an accomplished career in chemical metallurgy with a focus on applied thermodynamics, Dr. Davis is a co-founder of KPM, is a former President of the Metallurgy and Materials Society ("MetSoc" of the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum ("CIM" and is an adjunct professor at Queen's University in Kingston where he volunteers to supervise graduate students. He was also the originator and conference Co-Chair of the MetSoc, Society for Mining Metallurgy & Exploration Inc. ("SME", and the Minerals, Metals & Materials Society ("TMS" 'Extraction 2018', the first global conference on extractive metallurgy.
Mr. Roy began his career at Hydro-Quebec's Energy Technology Laboratory (laboratoire des technologies de l'énergie or "LTE" working on thermal plasma for metallurgical applications, prior to joining Noranda Inc. (now Glencore International) at their Canadian Copper Refinery ("CCR" for five years, followed by three years at the company's advanced material facility (NORAM Engineering and Constructors, Ltd., now 5N Plus Inc.), and two years at the Brunswick Lead Smelter. Mr. Roy then co-founded KPM where he serves as Vice President, Operations.
Dr. Hatch and Dr. Davis have previously worked together in a number of aspects of the REE sector, including the Critical Rare Earth Elements Network. "IMC is thrilled to partner with KPM in the commercialization of RapidSX™," said Dr. Hatch. "KPM has an accomplished track record of metallurgical process development and commercialization, with a particular emphasis on clearly establishing the techno-economic feasibility of processes and appropriate unit-operation selection early on in the commercialization process."