PYX Resources Ltd (LON:PYX) (NSX:PYX), the second largest publicly listed zircon producing mining company globally by zircon resources, has increased the production capacity of its Mineral Separation Plant (MSP) at its world-class Mandiri deposit in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia, from 18,000 tpa to 24,000 tpa, to enable the production of by-products, rutile, leucoxene, and ilmenite.
Having been granted approval on December 7, 2020 for its “Production Operation Plan and Budget 2021”, which includes the mining operation, processing, marketing, and shipping of zircon, rutile, and ilmenite, by the Energy and Resource Service Department from the Government of the Province of Central Kalimantan, the company initially focused on producing and selling premium zircon.
As part of its five-year plan to expand capacity at its Mandiri MSP, the Company has now increased capacity to 24,000 tpa, which will enable it to add titanium dioxide minerals to its sales profile in the near future. These minerals, in the form of rutile, ilmenite and leucoxene, are by products of the zircon production process, and are mainly utilized in the production of pigment, with smaller quantities used in the production of titanium metal and welding electrode fluxes.
The MSP at Mandiri consists of a conventional wet concentration process (Wilfley tabling) and a batch dry mineral separation processing (electrostatic rolls, electrostatic plates, and magnetic rolls).
Heavy Mineral (HM) feed material is first passed over gravity shaking tables to increase the zircon concentrate. The concentrate then undergoes drying and cooling before being passed through an Electrostatic Separation Unit to separate metallic and non-metallic minerals, as well as those minerals which possess non-conductive properties. Finally, the zircon concentrate passes through an Electromagnetic Separation Unit, resulting in the end product, which has a high zircon content ranging between 66%-68%.
“Increasing the capacity of our Mineral Separation Plant in Indonesia is a key element of our strategy that enables us to diversify our product offering and bring more choice and benefits to our expanding global customers,” PYX’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Oliver Hasler, said.
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