ABx Group Limited (ASX: ABX) has announced significant progress at its Deep Leads ionic adsorption clay rare earth project in northern Tasmania, highlighting a major advance in high-purity mixed rare earth carbonate (MREC) production that could position the company as a prime supplier for clean energy supply chains.
Recent laboratory trials conducted by the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) have delivered notable results.
In these tests, over 98 per cent of total rare earth elements (REEs) were successfully retained in solution, while nearly all major impurities, especially aluminium, were removed from the leach solution.
“These latest results are extraordinarily good. We are eagerly looking forward to the production of the MREC sample later this month,” said ABx Group Managing Director and CEO Mark Cooksey.
A standout result is the very low aluminium-to-total rare earths (Al:TREE) ratio achieved in the impurity removal process. In both trials, the Al:TREE ratio fell below 0.005 — well within the quality parameters sought by downstream refiners and end users in sectors such as electric vehicle production, wind turbines, and defence technologies.
The low impurity levels are poised to make the product attractive to global customers seeking reliable sources of high-purity rare earths.
The company’s first MREC product sample remains on track for delivery by the end of November.
This paves the way for production a larger scale and the potential to take a leading role in the critical minerals sector, which is essential for the renewable energy transition and national security industries worldwide.
The Deep Leads project, located 45 kilometres west of Launceston, stands out for its high grades of the valuable heavy rare earths dysprosium (Dy) and terbium (Tb), combined with remarkable recovery rates and minimal processing costs.
“Because of the very high DyTb content, high extractions, low impurities and a significant resource, ABx Group continues to receive strong interest from potential customers,” noted Cooksey.
The latest work focused on two impurity removal trials on rare earth-enriched leach solutions derived from a 1.2 kg sub-sample of a 100 kg bulk sample from trial pit DLP002 within the Deep Leads resource.
At near-optimum pH conditions of 5.9 and 6.2, aluminium was virtually eradicated from solution, with rare earth elements preserved at more than 98 per cent.
This combination of high purity and yield is especially significant for customers who require defect-free feedstock for advanced manufacturing applications.
These results solidify ABx Group’s prospect of establishing a competitive and sustainable domestic rare earths supply chain, aligned with Australia’s strategic priorities in critical minerals development.
The Deep Leads project is emerging as a potential cornerstone asset for the local and global clean-energy sector.
