Red Metal Limited has achieved a significant metallurgical breakthrough at its Sybella Rare Earth Project, using ion exchange resins to enrich rare earth elements nine times while drastically cutting impurities and costs.
- Ion exchange trials enriched rare earth oxides (TREO) by 9 times
- Rare earth recovery improved from 93% to 99%
- Simplified processing flowsheet reduces capital and operating costs
- Significant removal of impurities like iron and aluminium
- Heap leach tests and further optimization underway for 2026 scoping study
A Step Change in Rare Earth Processing
Red Metal Limited has announced a major advancement in the processing of rare earth elements (REE) at its Sybella Rare Earth Project near Mount Isa, Queensland. The company’s recent ion exchange (IX) resin trials have successfully enriched the rare earth content in the Pregnant Leach Liquor by a factor of nine, while simultaneously removing significant impurities such as iron and aluminium. This breakthrough promises to simplify the processing flowsheet and substantially reduce both capital and operating costs.
Traditionally, impurity removal in rare earth processing involves a two-stage chemical treatment using lime and soda ash, which can be costly and complex. Red Metal’s new approach replaces this with a single-stage ion exchange process using commercially available resins, which selectively bind REEs and allow impurities to pass through. The result is a cleaner, more concentrated rare earth solution ready for precipitation into mixed rare earth carbonate (MREC).
Impressive Recovery and Purity Gains
The ion exchange trials demonstrated an increase in REE recovery from approximately 93% under the previous method to an impressive 99%. The final strip liquor from the resin showed a ninefold enrichment in total rare earth oxides (TREO), significantly reducing the volume and complexity of downstream processing. Moreover, the process achieved a dramatic reduction in impurities, including a 97% reduction in copper, 98% in zinc, 73% in tellurium, and 99% in nickel relative to TREO.
Managing Director Rob Rutherford highlighted the cost implications, noting that the simplicity and efficiency of the IX process could reduce the project’s break-even cost by 10 to 15 percent. This is a meaningful margin in the competitive rare earth sector, where processing costs and purity directly influence marketability and profitability.
Supporting Metallurgical and Mining Advances
Complementing the ion exchange success, Red Metal is nearing completion of advanced comminution studies on large diameter drill cores, which indicate the Sybella granite host rock is relatively soft and amenable to cost-effective crushing. The company is also set to commence weak-acid column heap leach tests on various crushed ore types, a low-cost extraction method that could further enhance project economics.
The Sybella deposit is notable for its granite-hosted rare earth mineralisation, dominated by highly soluble fluoro-carbonate minerals such as bastnasite and synchysite. This contrasts with more common clay-hosted or monazite-dominated deposits, potentially offering a unique processing advantage. The project’s proximity to Mount Isa, a well-established mining hub, adds logistical benefits.
Looking Ahead to 2026 and Beyond
Red Metal plans to continue optimizing the ion exchange process to further improve MREC purity and reduce costs. The company’s integrated approach; combining metallurgical advances, heap leach testing, and planned infill drilling to upgrade resource classification; aims to underpin a mine scoping study scheduled for 2026. This study will be critical in defining the project’s economic viability and potential scale.
While these results are promising, the path to commercialisation will require successful scale-up of the ion exchange process and validation of heap leach performance. Market acceptance of the MREC product’s purity and consistency will also be key factors in securing off-take agreements and financing.
Bottom Line?
Red Metal’s ion exchange breakthrough at Sybella could reshape rare earth processing economics, setting the stage for a pivotal 2026 scoping study.
Questions in the middle?
- How will further ion exchange optimization impact final product purity and recovery rates?
- What are the projected capital and operating cost savings at commercial scale?
- Can heap leach testing confirm the feasibility of low-cost extraction for Sybella’s granite-hosted ore?