Black Canyon Limited announced initial manganese sulphate crystallisation test-work has delivered highly promising results, producing manganese sulphate with 32.3% Mn content which is equivalent to greater than 99% Mn purity. The success of the crystallisation continues from the leaching test-work which demonstrated up to 91% extraction from manganese oxide ores from the Flanagan Bore project. The manganese sulphate results bolsters the company's strategy to produce HPMSM, commencing with this initial leach and crystallisation test-work which are complementary to the co-development of manganese concentrates for the alloying and steel manufacturing industry.

The HPMSM strategy will now be further advanced with more detailed Scoping Level leaching, purification and crystallisation test-work to produce potential battery grade manganese sulphate over the coming months. Leaching and Crystallisation Testwork Objective: The objective of the initial test-work was to establish the leaching amenability of manganese oxide ores using industry standard chemical and physical parameters to determine extraction kinetics based on feedstock particle size, slurry density and SO2 concentration. The manganese-rich solution was then crystallised and analysed and has demonstrated that a high-grade manganese sulphate product can be produced.

The testwork has also assisted the company's understanding of potential elemental impurities such as iron, aluminium, calcium, potassium and base metals which will be removed as part of a purification phase. The learnings from the initial leach and crystallization tests can now be applied to further ongoing detailed leaching, purification and crystallisation test-work to support the HPMSM Scoping Study. The company is advancing this second stage of a hydrometallurgical test-work program with the preparation of additional manganese oxide materials from the LR1 and FB3 deposits at Flanagan Bore.

Manganese Sulphate Crystallisation Test-work: A global manganese oxide composite was tested from across the LR1 and FB3 deposits from the Flanagan Bore Project. The initial leach tests were undertaken on fines of manganese concentrate composites produced from previous beneficiation test-work. A concentrated pregnant leachate solution (PLS) derived from the fore mentioned leaching test-work was neutralised, filtered and treated to remove excess calcium.

The resulting manganese enriched filtrate was evaporated and the crystals recovered, dried and analysed. Chemical analysis of the recovered manganese sulphate crystals reported a Mn grade at 32.3% which is equivalent to a manganese sulphate purity of >99%. A second stage test-work program is well advanced and will investigate additional manganese sulphate solution purification to remove other impurities and production options to support the HPMSM Scoping Study currently underway.