Royal IHC has completed metallurgical testing as part of a definitive feasibility study (DFS) on the Toliara mineral sands project.
The work was carried out on behalf of Base Resources Limited. IHC’s involvement since the pre-feasibility study has facilitated the development of a fit-for-purpose process, which will be used to extract three grades of ilmenite – as well as zircon and rutile – from the Madagascan deposit.
IHC’s Australian-based specialist business unit for the mining industry, IHC Robbins, has provided geological services, metallurgical test work and mineral sands expertise to Base Resources throughout the pre-feasibility study and DFS.
The collaboration has seen the optimization of the mineral separation plant process, which used a combination of magnetic and electrostatic separators, gravity separation stages and particle elutriators. These operations exploit differences in each mineral’s physical and chemical properties to extract and refine each high-value product.
IHC has been involved in the project since early 2018 and has completed multiple metallurgical test programs, from the initial pre-feasibility study phase through to the DFS confirmation, and the generation of market samples for testing.