technical report on the nechalacho deposit, thor lake project ...

Table 18-12 (Cont’d) Principal Process Design Criteria
Avalon Rare Metals Inc. – Thor Lake Project
Principal Process Design Criteria
Hydrometallurgical Plant
Operating time hr/a 7,582
Processing rate – initial Tph 8.7
Processing rate – expansion Tph 17.4
Acid bake temperature °C 250
Acid addition kg/t concentrate 700
Caustic crack temperature °C 600
Net caustic addition kg/t concentrate 140
Post double salt precipitation SX feed rate m 3 /h - initial throughput 41.5
Post double salt precipitation SX feed rate m 3 /h - expansion throughput 83
(All SX units sized for expansion, some driers added for
expansion)
Recovery to final products % ZrO 2 in concentrate 90
Sulphuric Acid Plant
% TREO in concentrate 93
% HREO in concentrate 93
% Nb 2 O 5 in concentrate 80
% Ta 2 O 5 in concentrate 50
Annual average capacity – initial tpd 100% acid 350
Annual average capacity – expansion tpd 100% acid 700
(Initial plant is built to handle expansion tonnage and
additions not required)
Technical Report 43-101 – March 13, 2011 Page 18-38
Prepared by Avalon Rare Metals Inc.