GRANGEX Apatite will be the first fossil-free producer of high-quality phosphorus minerals - apatite - for the fertiliser and food industries, among others.
The Apatite project
A scoping study has been initiated as part of the apatite project in Grängesberg, and the consulting company GeoVista AB has been engaged as the leader of the study. The aim is to investigate the prerequisites for processing the enrichment sand located in Jan Mattsdammen in Grängesberg and extracting commercially marketable products. In February, soil surveys of Jan Mattsdammen were carried out through systematic sampling, with the aim of obtaining an updated knowledge of the dam’s sand volume and mineral content.
The company has formed a qualified technical project group for management of the process engineering experiments that are necessary to define the optimal process flow schedule, and the accredited mineral laboratory GTK in Finland has been engaged for these experiments.
The sand contains the main mineral apatite and, in addition to phosphorus, also contains interesting levels of rare earth elements (REE).
The purpose of the process tests is to find the optimal flotation process for a high yield of high-grade apatite. The apatite that will be produced in the process tests will be delivered as a product sample to potential customers.
The mineralogical investigations carried out on the enrichment sand from Jan Mattsdammen also show the presence of two more REE-bearing minerals (monazite and allanite). If it should prove that these minerals are economically recoverable, the enrichment process of the apatite project may be expanded and also include the production of these minerals as by-products.
The study for the apatite project is expected to be completed during the third quarter of 2021.
Jan Mattsdammen and the GP plant in Grängesberg.
