Victory Metals has achieved a breakthrough 2,600 per cent increase in Hafnium grade using gravity separation at its North Stanmore heavy rare earth, scandium and hafnium project in Western Australia, representing a cost-effective pathway to supply the critical metal.
The company achieved a 26-fold increase in Hafnium grade from 4 ppm to 108 ppm and recovered 66 per cent of the Hafnium into just 3.5 per cent of the original ore mass.
The results mean that 96.5 per cent of the material was rejected early, dramatically reducing its size, capital cost and operating expenses of any future Hafnium processing plant.
The breakthrough demonstrated a simple, cost-effective pathway to extract one of the world’s most valuable by-products.
Victory CEO Brendan Clark said: “These results are a game changer for an industry mostly controlled by China and Russia.
“In simple terms, we take the ore and use a straightforward, chemical-free process to extract a small, high-grade portion containing Hafnium.
“The price of this commodity is surging due to rising demand from the defence and nuclear sector, as well as other emerging technologies, including AI.
“With limited global supply and Western nations racing to secure alternatives, North Stanmore’s current MRE contains ~1.55 million kilograms of Hafnium and is expected to gain attention of major defence suppliers and allied governments.”
Hafnium is an important and valuable metal with unmatched neutron absorption, making it irreplaceable in defence and high-tech applications.
In defence applications, Hafnium is used in fighter jets and hypersonic weapons, where superalloys allow aircraft and missiles to withstand extreme temperatures and achieve higher speeds.
Hafnium also ensures safe fission control in nuclear reactor propulsion systems due to its superior neutron capture properties.
The metal is expensive to obtain as global supply is limited, with annual refined production of only 70 to 100 tonnes worldwide. China dominates the supply chains, with limited production from France, the US and Russia.
Victory said North Stanmore’s resource estimate of 1,550 tonnes of contained Hafnium represents decades of meaningful supply in a growing market.
