VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Jan. 10, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Fancamp Exploration Ltd. (“Fancamp” or the “Corporation”) (TSX Venture Exchange: FNC) is pleased to announce successful initial results from testing conducted on ore sourced in Quebec, using Fancamp’s proprietary titanium technology. This technology provides a means to significantly reduce impurities and create high-grade TiO2 feedstock, a downstream benefit to pigment and other multi-billion-dollar titanium-focused industries, and a natural complement to existing processes.

In the selective leach process that Fancamp has developed, impurities that typically impact the chloride process were successfully removed while barely affecting the original TiO2 content (0.25% TiO2 loss), with a by-product and waste stream that can be converted to fertilizer. The selective leach was able to remove most alkaline elements (salt category elements) such as Magnesium, Calcium and Sodium, among others. The most important achievement is that this will now allow the use of conventional hard rock ilmenite resources that are typically high in MgO to be used by the chloride process.

A recent trial was conducted utilizing below average ilmenite concentrate which upgraded it to a high-grade acceptable ilmenite that can complement the chloride process.

The feed chemistry was as follows, at over 100 microns, in order to comply with chloride process requirements:

The selective leach only removed 0.25% of the TiO2 with the following final chemistry:

Further optimization of this chemistry is possible, however, the testing of Fancamp’s patent-pending technology and process, among its other 5 filings, demonstrates how the application of innovative technologies can complement the existing industry and general trend towards greener and cleaner processes. In this case a high-quality ilmenite was produced with a by-product of fertilizer.

Fancamp’s other pending patents for future consideration include the below:

• Upgraded TiO2 feed stock
• Selective recovery of precious metals from nonviable resources of iron and titanium
• Cleaning of Ilmenite
• Agglomeration of fines to become amenable to the chloride process that has challenges of fine particle size
• Titanium Metal process that is green and economical
• 3D printing quality titanium metal that is green and economical

Titanium dioxide, TiO2, is often used to whiten a wide range of products, from paint to cosmetics (sunscreen and toothpaste), plastics, textiles and paper, a characteristic attributed to titanium oxides absorbency of UV rays and ability to reflect 96% of light. Fancamp’s technologies have the potential to unlock resources that normally would not be considered due to significant impurities, or by converting waste streams and off-spec materials into valuable products like titanium metal.