Surefire Resources files provisional patent for vanadium recovery process

Through its wholly owned subsidiary Suretec Solutions, Surefire Resources (ASX: SRN) has filed an Australian provisional patent application to protect its proprietary vanadium recovery process.

Perth-based patent attorney WRAYS was appointed to review the process and undertake a search on the subject matter of the invention. Following this, WRAYS have confirmed to application has been lodged with IP Australia.

Surefire’s metallurgical application reduces the need for standard heat pre-treatment processes currently used in the vanadium extraction industry.

In May 2023, Surefire appointed METS Engineering to assess the potential for recovery of a high purity vanadium oxide in liquid form. From this, a clean high purity vanadium electrolyte could be produced for use in the vanadium battery sector.

After a 96-hour leach from magnetite concentrate at its Victory Bore vanadium project in WA, a vanadium extraction of 91% was achieved as well as an 88% titanium extraction.

Further laboratory testing improved these results by achieving a 97% recovery of vanadium after 24 hours.

Surefire has commissioned METS to produce test work plans for its leach process to be applied to a larger sample of between 250kg and 500kg. From this, vanadium pentoxide and vanadium electrolyte will be produced and assessed for grade and quality.

The company is assessing the potential benefits of using this process which should significantly reduce capital and operating costs as no heat treatment is required.

Subject to results from this work, Surefire will assess the potential to licence the process for use on other vanadium resources.