MONTREAL - Manganese X Energy Corp. has announced that it has received additional favorable metallurgical results from Kemetco Research Inc. (Kemetco) in the development process that has now demonstrated greater efficiency and improved economics leading to commercialization.
The Company completed phase 1 yielding manganese sulphate with a purity exceeding 99.95 per cent with low levels of base and alkali metals using material from its Battery Hill property. This has been a transformational achievement, demonstrating its resource material which can be compliant with electric vehicles and other requirements.
Various Phase 2 bench scale metallurgical bulk tests have been conducted, and results to optimize leaching, neutralization and solid-liquid separation are very positive. The Company continues to advance the development of a workable extraction process and flowsheet to further reduce purification steps, which, if successful, could lead to major cost benefits.
Agitated bench scale leach tests under a range of operating conditions and feed preparation meant to optimize manganese extraction will continue. The company, together with Kemetco, is developing a commercializable flowsheet to produce ultrahigh-purity battery-grade manganese products for the growing electric-vehicle and energy storage sectors, using the ethical and sustainable North American mineralization at Battery Hill.
Martin Kepman, CEO of Manganese X Energy, comments: "We are pleased to see continued validation for manganese usage in the EV and stored energy space. Manganese sulphate (MnSO4) has emerged as a critical EV battery material. MnSO4 is driven by the need to reduce the $/kwh of a high-performance EV battery. Our intention is to achieve a low-cost production process utilizing manganese ore that is readily available from our New Brunswick property. Key considerations are low cost, high energy density and long battery life. We have a terrific opportunity to exploit our valuable asset in providing a made in North America energy solution that is ethical, economic, and carbon friendly."
About Manganese X Energy
Manganese's X mission is to acquire and advance high potential manganese mining prospects located in North America with the intent of supplying value-added materials to the lithium-ion battery and other alternative energy industries.
In addition, the company is striving to achieve new methodologies emanating from environmentally and geographically ethical and friendly green/zero-emissions technologies, while processing manganese at a lower competitive cost.