Scandium Leach Testwork Delivers Promising Early Results

• Sulfuric acid is effective for scandium leaching
• Results indicate potential to limit aluminium dissolution
• Short leach times (up to 6 hours) may maintain scandium extraction

West Cobar Metals Limited (ASX: WC1) has commenced a significant metallurgical testwork program with ANSTO to evaluate sulfuric acid leaching of Salazar scandium mineralisation. The preliminary findings suggest that sulfuric acid is effective in extracting scandium from the Salazar material tested. Early results indicate that scandium leaching reaches a relative plateau after approximately six hours, suggesting an opportunity to limit extended leach residence times. The potential to optimise leach times to reduce the uptake of aluminium to the leach liquor while having little to no effect on scandium extraction is a significant positive finding.