London, October 8th (Argus) - The mining development company Aclara Resources, headquartered in Toronto, and the Chilean steel producer CAP have launched a pilot plant in Talcahuano, Chile, to test the production of rare earth metals and alloys.
Aclara Metals will use the molten salt electrolysis method to convert neodymium-praseodymium oxides into rare earth metals and alloys. The design capacity of the facility can reach up to 175 kilograms per day, with the target product purity not lower than 99.5%.
The project will verify the stable and continuous operation capability of the device through multiple production tests and collect engineering data to support Aclara's plan to build an industrial rare earth separation plant in Louisiana, USA. This Chilean project is also considering conducting a second phase of demonstration tests, during which dysprosium oxide will be added to produce praseodymium-neodymium-dysprosium alloys.
This project utilizes the metallurgical technical experience of CAP's Huachipato steel mill and adopts proprietary technology jointly developed by CAP and Aclara.
Aclara is committed to establishing a technology and production system covering the entire industrial chain, including mining projects and pilot plants for concentrate in Chile and Brazil, as well as a pilot plant for rare earth separation in Virginia, USA.
Alvaro Castellon, the general manager of Aclara, said: "The rare earth metalization technology is very scarce in Western countries and is almost in a blank state. This pilot plant will enable us to replicate one of the four stages of the rare earth metalization process and gain practical operational experience. These experiences will complement the ongoing engineering design work and help us move closer to the goal of building an industrial factory in the United States."
