Gold and PGM prices are rising sharply, while battery metals and rare-earth elements are becoming strategically important. Yet small- and medium-sized mine owners still face a fundamental challenge: how can they prove that their material is economically viable?
Most projects rely on laboratory assays from very small samples to attract investment. However, one small sample cannot reliably represent an entire mine, orebody or stockpile. Even when financing is secured, very few projects successfully convert promising laboratory results into profitable commercial production.
Avimetal offers a more practical approach.
We process a representative bulk sample of at least one ton to determine:
- Representative metal content
- Mineralogy and particle-size distribution
- Magnetic and nonmagnetic fractions
- Dry and wet concentration performance
- Concentrate and tailings mass balance
- Sulfur, magnetite and moisture content
- 100 lead-oxide (PbO) fire assays using 31-gram test portions
- 100 nickel-sulfide (NiS) fire assays using 31-gram test portions
- Required drying or roasting conditions
- Copper-collector and flux optimization
- Smelting and copper-anode production
- Electrorefining and anode-slime recovery
- Recovery potential for Au, Ag, Pt and Pd
- ICP verification for Rh, Ru, Os and Ir
- Overall recovery, processing cost and potential revenue per ton
The PbO fire-assay program evaluates gold and silver, while the NiS fire-assay program provides improved collection and evaluation of platinum-group metals. Using many representative test portions from a homogenized bulk sample provides significantly stronger analytical confidence than relying on a single small sample.
The results can support investment decisions, offtake negotiations, refinery sales and commercial process selection.
Once economic viability is established, another challenge remains: building a production facility.
Conventional plant development—including buildings, foundations, equipment installation, electrical work, permitting and commissioning—can require two to three years.
Avimetal has developed a modular processing concept in which each major process is prefabricated as a plug-and-play module. Subject to site readiness and permitting, a modular facility can potentially begin operation within approximately six months.
Bulk Validation → 200 Fire Assays → Process Selection → Revenue-per-Ton Assessment → Investment or Offtake → Modular Plant Deployment
If you own a mine, mineral stockpile, slag, tailings, coal ash or another potentially valuable feed material and need to establish its realistic commercial value, Avimetal is prepared to evaluate the opportunity.
