Montreal's Exploration Orbite Inc., developer of the Grande Vallée aluminous clay deposits in Quebec's Gaspé region, has passed a major milestone.
Small samples of primary aluminum metal have been test-smelted in Ottawa using the high-purity alumina Orbite has been producing at its $6.4-million pilot plant at Cap Chat.
"This confirms the 99.9-percent pure alumina produced with our patented technology can compete with the traditional alumina imported from Africa, Australia and other countries to Quebec right now," CEO Richard Boudreault said Wednesday.
Alumina is the intermediate material from which primary aluminum has been smelted for generations. It is energy-intensive and polluting to produce.
Alcan, with its big alumina plant in the Saguenay, along with the federal and Quebec governments, have supported Orbite in its quest to develop the Gaspé aluminous clay deposits as an alternative.
The small metal samples were made from the smeltergrade alumina (SGA) produced in the Cap Chat pilot plant and the testing was done in co-operation with the National Institute of Research (INRS) in Ottawa and in conditions mirroring large-scale aluminum smelting.
"The tests show the alumina produced by Orbite has a similar behaviour in a molten salts reduction cell as the conventional alumina used by smelters worldwide," INRS professor Lionel Roué said.
"I'm carrying samples in my coat pocket now," said Boudreault, an engineer and entrepreneur.
The Cap Chat pilot plant will now focus on optimizing operations and generating data for the feasibility study for commercial production.
"We've shown we can make a superior quality smeltergrade alumina efficiently and without the environmental impact of the traditional Bayer process," Boudreault said.
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