Strategic Resources Inc. (TSXV: SR)(the “Company” or “Strategic”) is pleased to announce it has commenced joint hydro-metallurgical testing with VanadiumCorp Resource Inc. (TSXV: VRB)(“VanadiumCorp”) using their patented and proprietary green recovery process named VanadiumCorp Electrochem Process Technology (“VEPT”) on titanomagnetite concentrate from Strategic’s wholly-owned Mustavaara Project in Finland . The ongoing testing campaign is being performed by Electrochem Technologies & Materials inc. (“Electrochem”) at its facilities in Boucherville, Quebec, Canada . The program will test whether this clean energy technology from VanadiumCorp would be viable on Mustavaara’s material and could provide an alternative and more environmentally friendly way to extract vanadium and iron versus the conventional smelting methods evaluated in the Preliminary Economic Assessment for the Project (see news release dated May 4, 2021 ). Vanadium end products produced by the VEPT process favour the rapidly emerging Vanadium Redox Flow Battery industry in contrast to the current flowsheet, which produces ferrovanadium used in the steel industry. In addition, the process offers the potential for commercial-grade titanium production as a third revenue stream for the Project.
Adriaan Bakker , VanadiumCorp’s CEO, commented: “VanadiumCorp is excited to be working with Strategic, who has identified the potential of our patented green process technology. As the Mustavaara Project encompasses a formerly producing vanadium-iron- mine, it represents a potential paradigm shift toward green metallurgical recovery methods. Located in Finland , sustainable recovery of vanadium and other critical metals at Mustavaara would represent an exciting development in the region and the EU.”
About VEPT
VEPT is a patented and proprietary chemical process technology wholly owned by VanadiumCorp. Dr. Francois Cardarelli , from Electrochem Technologies & Materials Inc., invented VEPT in 2017 to address challenges in the metallurgical recovery of vanadium from a variety of feedstocks. The VEPT process was co-developed by Electrochem and VanadiumCorp over the past four years as a higher-yielding alternative to conventional methods that rely upon carbon- and energy-intensive pyrometallurgy. The VEPT process directly recovers source materials for the Vanadium Redox Flow Battery industry, such as vanadium pentoxide and vanadyl sulphate both precursors for producing vanadium electrolyte. Yields include a high-purity titanium byproduct. VEPT is patent-protected in the USA and patent-pending in the key global jurisdictions of Canada , the EU, South Africa , Australia , and India . Testing of the VEPT process on a wide range of feedstocks is currently progressing at the bench scale.
About Strategic Resources
Strategic Resources Inc. (TSXV:SR) is a Vancouver, Canada -based mineral exploration and development company focused on vanadium projects in Finland . The Company is primarily focused on its flagship Mustavaara vanadium-iron-titanium project in Finland . The Company continues to evaluate new opportunities that are related to the electrification of the economy.
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