Exploration Orbite (TSX-V:ORT.A - News) announces that it has successfully produced a large scale aluminum metal ingot from its metallurgical grade alumina (SGA), following a continuous 50-hour electrolysis test to reliably produce the large scale aluminum metal ingot. This large-scale laboratory test was carried out at SINTEF, the leading independent international research organization in Norway, and conclusively demonstrates that Orbite SGA alumina meets industry standards, since excellent quality aluminum was produced by two different research centers, the second time on a larger and on an international scale. The SGA alumina material is the final product for Orbite and it is ultimately oriented for sale to the aluminum smelters.
Excellent quality sample
The sample of metallurgical alumina, delivered by Orbite to SINTEF, underwent the electrolysis test in using an industrial like pilot set-up to produce an amount of aluminum metal of about 2 kg. The metallurgical alumina produced by Orbite has shown excellent behavior in term of flowability, dissolution rate and current efficacy. Moreover, the SGA demonstrated first-rate size, shape and granulometry, and displayed no noticeable sludge formation throughout the experiment. No unexpected events were reported and the quality of the aluminum produced was confirmed as excellent by SINTEF.
The test was conduct at industrial conditions by using industrially-used molten salt at a temperature of 950 degree Celsius. The alumina concentration in the electrolyte was between 2 - 3.5 wt. %, which is nominal for the Hall-Heroult aluminum electrolysis process. "The production of the first ingot aluminum from Orbite alumina at SINTEF, an organization whose advanced consultancy and laboratory services are recognized among some of the best in the world, is a significant achievement for Orbite and as profound implications for the aluminum industry," explained Dr. Joel Fournier, VP Technologies. "The excellent quality and specifications of Orbite's alumina were confirmed by our test and the resulting aluminum was of a quality second-to-none" said Egil Skybakmoen, Senior advisor and research director for the electrolysis group of the SINTEF - Material and Chemistry unit.
Another significant milestone
Previously, Orbite produced samples of aluminum using Cap-Chat Smelter Grade Alumina (SGA), which is designed to meet and exceed current industry standards for purity and particle size/shape (granulometry), and whose quality was ultimately confirmed by an independent, world-class research facility in Canada through electrolysis smelting into aluminum. The latest metallurgical aluminum sample, produced at SINTEF, will help Orbite further develop and optimize its aluminum production parameters. "The production of aluminum resulting from the large-scale laboratory electrolysis test demonstrates Orbite's ability to make a superior quality, high-demand smelter grade alumina product, and to do so with the same quality and behavior found throughout the industry. SINTEF is globally recognized as a leader in the development of advanced materials, products, processes and new tools, and in seeking out new, environmentally friendly processing methods that will increase productivity and raise quality standards in the aluminum industry - we are delighted with the results of this project with them which, once again, confirms that aluminum can be produced using the standards, technology and methods of the aluminum industry while minding the ecology," said Richard Boudreault, CEO.
Approximately 82M tonnes of alumina are produced globally each year and this amount is expected to grow to 156M tonnes by the end of the decade, with a current spot price neighboring $425 per tonne and was recently reported to be increasing steeply at an average of about a 1$/day.
About Orbite
Orbite (pronounced Orbit) owns 100% of the exclusive mining rights on its 6,441-hectare Grande-Vallee property, the site of an aluminous clay deposit located 32 km northeast of Murdochville, and a 28,000 sq. ft. at scale pilot facility in Cap Chat, both in the Gaspe region. The latest NI 43-101 report issued has identified an Indicated Resource of more than 1 billion tonnes of aluminous clay in part of the deposit, thus representing a half-century of the total current Canadian alumina imports. The Company also owns the intellectual property rights to a unique Canada and U.S.-patented process for extracting alumina from aluminous clays and for which other international patents are also pending. www.explorationorbite.com
Orbite is Focussed on Thinking Outside the Bauxite
About SINTEF
SINTEF is the largest independent research organisation in Scandinavia with international top-level expertise in technology, medicine and the social sciences. It employs 2,100 staff from 67 countries and performs more than 7,000 research projects for some 2,000 clients every year. It is a globally premier-status center for research on the electrolysis of metals and in particular for aluminum and is used by the largest aluminum smelter corporations around the globe. In 2010, SINTEF's turnover was NOK 2.8 billion, more than 90% of which stems from industry and the public sector, as well as project grants from the Research Council of Norway.
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