Locksley Resources recently provided an update on its research collaboration with Columbia University, led by Professor Greeshma Gadikota, within the Department of Earth and Environmental Engineering and Columbia Climate School.
The partnership is focused on developing potential processing pathways for the recovery, separation and metallization of rare earth elements (REEs) and associated critical metals from carbonatite- and bastnaesite-style mineral systems, including the mineralization style relevant to Locksley’s El Campo REE project within its Mojave project in southeastern California.
“Locksley’s collaboration with Columbia University is providing us with access to advanced research into rare earth recovery, separation and metallization pathways. The work completed to date is supporting our understanding of potential processing routes for our carbonatite-related mineral systems,” said Kerrie Matthews, managing director and CEO.
“We look forward to the next phase of optimization using Locksley samples and to assessing the implications of these results for future development studies. Importantly, this work is being progressed in parallel with maiden exploration at El Campo, positioning Locksley to better understand potential development pathways as the project advances.”
Locksley said conceptual flow sheets for bastnasite-rich ores from the El Campo site have been proposed, including various leaching modes, co-recovery of other metals, REE separations, and electrified metallization. These pathways are being evaluated to assess the potential reduction in processing complexity and improvements in recovery outcomes for REEs and associated critical metals.
El Campo sits 1.4 kilometers from the Mountain Pass mine, North America’s only active REE producer.