Business · Energy & Commodities · 1 hr ago
West Cobar tests shorter scandium leaching at Salazar
West Cobar Metals is testing scandium processing at its Salazar project in Western Australia.
ANSTO’s early tests found that, under one set of conditions, a six-hour sulphuric-acid leach extracted almost as much scandium as a 24-hour leach.
At 50 grams of acid per litre and 80°C, scandium extraction was 1% higher after 24 hours, while aluminium in the solution rose by 94%.
The results come from one selected sample, and they do not give the absolute amount of scandium recovered.
Dissolved aluminium can make it harder to purify scandium, so shorter leaching could help limit this impurity.
More tests will assess leaching conditions, acid use and feed size, alongside separate work on how to process the material.
West Cobar also plans to start aircore drilling in late October to test shallow, higher-grade zones and extensions to known mineralisation.
West Cobar Metals’ preliminary tests at its Salazar project in Western Australia found that a six-hour sulphuric-acid leach extracted nearly as much scandium as a 24-hour leach under the conditions tested.
At 50g/L acid and 80°C, relative scandium extraction was 1% higher after 24 hours, while aluminium in solution increased by 94%.
The results come from a selected composite sample, and solids assays, mass balances and repeatability checks are still outstanding.
Further testing will examine feed size, acid consumption and impurity dissolution.
West Cobar plans to combine the work with a separate beneficiation program to assess an integrated processing flowsheet.
- Who
- West Cobar Metals, with metallurgical testing by ANSTO.
- What
- Preliminary tests compared scandium extraction and aluminium dissolution over different leach times. A six-hour leach extracted nearly as much scandium as a 24-hour leach at the stated conditions.
- When
- The results were reported on 2026-10-19.
- Where
- The Salazar scandium project in Western Australia.
- Why
- To assess sulphuric-acid leaching conditions and whether shorter leach times can limit impurity dissolution.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
West Cobar reported preliminary ANSTO results comparing six-hour and 24-hour sulphuric-acid leaches.
ANSTO will assess feed-size fractions and leach conditions, including effects on scandium extraction, acid consumption and impurity dissolution.
Aircore drilling is scheduled to test higher-grade shallow scandium zones and extensions to known mineralisation.
- Acid strength
- 50g/L sulphuric acid
- Temperature
- 80°C
- Leach-time comparison
- 6 hours versus 24 hours
- Relative scandium extraction
- 24-hour result was 1% higher than the six-hour result
- Aluminium in solution
- Increased by 94% from six to 24 hours
- Test sample
- 84kg composite from 19 one-metre intervals across three aircore holes