en.Wedoany.com Reported - Empire Metals, listed on the AIM market, announced the completion of an integrated metallurgical processing flowsheet for the Pitfield titanium project in Western Australia, capable of producing high-grade 99% titanium dioxide pigment. This flowsheet is based on laboratory-scale test work that has been successfully completed for key processing stages.
The Pitfield project utilizes conventional processing technologies, combined with the ore body's inherent mineralogical advantages and proximity to existing infrastructure, to establish a competitive cost structure for the project. Empire revealed that the flowsheet also offers the option to produce titanium metal feedstock and high-grade alumina as a by-product. The high-grade alumina produced from pre-leach liquor is a marketable by-product that also helps improve titanium dioxide recovery, reduce reagent costs, and minimize waste.
Empire confirmed that the Pitfield project has the potential to become a significant Western source of titanium dioxide pigment and titanium sponge metal feedstock, with a production pathway that differs markedly from the energy-intensive ilmenite supply sources currently dominating the global market. The company plans to initiate a 12-month metallurgical pilot program in the near term to validate plant design criteria ahead of a feasibility study and produce samples for evaluation by potential customers and offtake partners.
Notably, Empire has commissioned a research project at the Extraction Metallurgy Centre of Murdoch University to develop a process for producing titanium metal directly from Pitfield's titanium dioxide product via molten salt electrolysis. This process is viewed as a potential low-cost, low-emission route for titanium metal production and opens avenues for further downstream value addition.
Empire Managing Director Shaun Bunn stated that after an extensive and productive period of research, test work, and innovation, the company is on track to complete the process design and scoping phase for the project. He further noted that subsequent engineering and pilot-scale test work will continue to assess scalability, drive process optimization, and demonstrate additional project advantages. Amid growing market demand for low-cost new supply solutions, Pitfield is emerging as a differentiated large-scale critical minerals project well-positioned to meet the needs of titanium and titanium dioxide end-users.
This article is compiled by Wedoany. All AI citations must indicate the source as "Wedoany". If there is any infringement or other issues, please notify us promptly, and we will modify or delete it accordingly. Email: news@wedoany.com
