Pure Resources Validates Garnet Hills Garnet and Advances Liberation Testwork

Independent Validation Confirms Garnet Quality

Pure Resources Limited (ASX:PR1) has secured independent verification that its garnet product from the 100%-owned Garnet Hills Project meets stringent international abrasive standards. Testing by Malaysia’s Pusat Tenaga & Alam Sekitar, Energy & Environment Centre confirmed the garnet’s cleanliness, hardness, and notably low conductivity and soluble chloride levels, all critical for high-specification blast cleaning and naval surface preparation.

This validation under ISO 11126-10:2017 lays a solid technical foundation for Pure Resources’ pursuit of the US Navy’s NAVSEA qualification pathway, a coveted benchmark for premium defence abrasives.

Targeting Quartz Liberation with Novel and Conventional Methods

Building on these baseline results, the company is advancing metallurgical testwork to enhance garnet grade and recovery. Australian firm IHC Robbins is conducting qualitative trials using magnetic and gravity separation techniques, which preliminary results suggest reduce both free and locked silica content in the garnet product.

Meanwhile, Curtin University’s Mineral Separation Laboratory is trialling the SELFRAG high voltage electrodynamic fragmentation technology, a Swiss-developed process that uses controlled electrical pulses to fracture rock along natural mineral boundaries rather than crushing grains mechanically. Initial visual assessments hint at significant liberation of garnet grains from quartz, which is mostly locked within garnet particles, a key challenge identified by QEMSCAN mineralogical analysis.

Strategic Alignment with Defence Materials Platform

This metallurgical program is a critical component of Pure Resources’ Defence Materials Platform Strategy, which integrates premium andradite garnet production with broader rare earth recovery and advanced materials R&D. The garnet testwork directly supports the NAVSEA qualification process and is aligned with the company’s ongoing bulk sampling and product qualification efforts.

CEO Rocco Tassone emphasised the methodical approach: “Before committing capital to downstream processing, we are validating exactly what the Garnet Hills Project delivers.” He highlighted the importance of preserving the garnet’s natural angular morphology, essential for jet cutting and precision abrasive markets, which SELFRAG technology promises to do by minimizing grain damage and contamination.

Market Engagement and Next Steps

Pure Resources reports positive feedback from Asian markets and ongoing purchase order discussions in the USA, indicating commercial interest is building as technical milestones are met. The company plans to progress quantitative testwork results from IHC Robbins and Curtin University, initiate surface profile testing of the garnet product, and prepare for processing a further bulk sample.

As the company advances the NAVSEA qualification pathway, these developments could position Garnet Hills as a premium supplier in the defence abrasives sector, contingent on forthcoming quantitative data and formal approvals.