RareX Limited (ASX: REE) has achieved a significant milestone in its metallurgical program for the Cummins Range rare earths and phosphate project. Recent flotation testwork conducted at the SGS Lakefield laboratory in Canada delivered a 9.5x upgrade, reaching a 25.15% total rare earth oxide (TREO) grade from a 2.85% TREO feed. This result marks a technical step forward for the company, which has transitioned its testing strategy to domestic and specialised laboratories to better suit the project’s specific ore characteristics.

"The results from SGS Lakefield represent a significant step forward for the Cummins Range metallurgical program. Achieving a 9.5x upgrade to over 25% TREO on high grade ore - substantially exceeding all prior Australian beneficiation results for this project. This demonstrates that our ore responds well to modern reagent chemistry when applied with the right expertise. Importantly, the TIMA and laser ablation mineralogy has given us, for the first time, a clear mineral-scale understanding of exactly what is limiting recovery, and precisely what to do next to address it."

— James Durrant, Managing Director and CEO

The metallurgical program utilised advanced mineralogical analysis, specifically TIMA and laser ablation, to pinpoint monazite liberation as the primary constraint on recovery. By identifying the exact particle-scale barriers, the company has established a technical roadmap for subsequent optimization, which will focus on finer and staged grinding techniques to enhance recovery rates.

Beyond flotation, the company confirmed a viable hydrometallurgical pathway for gallium by-product recovery. Testing with Gega Elements demonstrated near-complete extraction of gallium via an acid bake and water leach methodology. Because monazite hosts elevated gallium concentrations, the company is now evaluating an integrated flowsheet that could potentially recover rare earths, gallium, and scandium from a single processing circuit.

Future catalysts for the project include the completion of this integrated flowsheet testwork and the formal validation of agronomic field-scale trials for a nano-phosphate fertiliser derived from the project's rock phosphate. These initiatives reflect the company’s broader strategy to extract maximum value from the multi-element potential of the deposit as it progresses toward development.

Read the full announcement: Cummins Range Metallurgy Program Delivers Strongest Results