Nevada Zinc Produces High-Grade Zinc Sulfate
Toronto, September 20, 2021 - Nevada Zinc Corp. (TSXV: NZN) ("Nevada Zinc" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the production of bench scale high-grade zinc sulfate monohydrate. The sample was produced from the multiphase pilot plant program being conducted by Hazen Research, Inc. ("Hazen") for the Company's Lone Mountain zinc project.
Hazen completed bench scale crystallization work to recover zinc sulfate from purified pregnant leach solution ("PLS"). Evaporation was carried out at 60°C using a rotary evaporator. Approximately 60% of the purified PLS mass was evaporated from the solution, crystallizing a mixture of zinc sulfate heptahydrate and zinc sulfate monohydrate. The crystallized product was dehydrated to zinc sulfate monohydrate at 80°C.
The dehydrated zinc sulfate product was identified by x-ray diffraction (XRD) as zinc sulfate monohydrate, with no other phases detected. The product has assayed 97%-99% zinc sulfate monohydrate by titration. The sample was assayed at 37.6% Zn by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy ("ICP-OES") and 18.7% total sulfur by combustion (LECO). Ca and Mg assayed 0.01% and 0.03%, respectively. ICP-OES analyses of relevant impurities (As, Cd, Co, Pb, Mo, Co, Ni) were below the reported detection limit for each element (<50 ppm). Additional analyses of impurities are in progress to better define at lower detection limits.
While zinc content in commercial zinc sulfate products can vary due to product specifications and applications, the typical zinc grade in zinc sulfate monohydrate is 35.5% Zn.
Max Vichniakov, President and CEO of Nevada Zinc commented: "We are extremely pleased with the zinc sulfate sample produced, one of the key objectives of our multiphase pilot program. The ability to produce a commercial grade zinc sulfate monohydrate from the representative mineralized material (bulk sample) from the Lone Mountain site was one of our primary goals. The conceptual technological approach was always there, but it's about turning it into a product. We arrived at this critical milestone by virtue of extensive test work and numerous hydrometallurgical experiments with an objective of designing a sustainable and environmentally friendly process to make a naturally produced, traceable to the source, high-grade zinc sulfate product."
A bulk operation to produce approximately 150 lbs. of a commercial grade zinc sulfate monohydrate product and economic assessment of the production process including capital costs are the next and final phases of the Company's multiphase pilot plant program projected to be completed in Q4/21. The Company will provide updates as material results become available.
About Nevada Zinc
The Company is focused on its wholly-owned Lone Mountain zinc project in central Nevada where it has been working since 2014 on a high-grade zinc carbonate-oxide deposit. To-date, the Company has completed a pit constrained, high-grade Inferred Mineral Resource Estimate of 3,257,000 tonnes at 7.57% Zn and 0.70% Pb (July 2018) and filed a Preliminary Economic Assessment ("PEA") for the production of zinc concentrate (June 2019). The PEA does not incorporate the potentially significant economic benefits of producing zinc sulfate products for the US agricultural and chemical sectors. In July 2020, the Company entered into a Collaboration Agreement with Cameron Chemicals Inc., a leading U.S. producer and distributor of granular micronutrients to the agricultural, turf, and horticultural industries with manufacturing facilities in Washington, Virginia and Michigan. Under the terms of the Collaboration Agreement, Nevada Zinc and Cameron will work together to establish a range of zinc-based micronutrient products to be produced by the Company and marketed by Cameron through its distribution networks. In March 2021, Nevada Zinc commenced a multiphase pilot plant program to produce zinc sulfate to further de-risk and advance its highly prospective Lone Mountain zinc project.
Additional information about the Company is available on the Company's website: www.nevadazinc.com
The technical content and references related to tests and experiments conducted at Hazen in this press release have been reviewed and consented to by Hazen.
Qualified Person
Robert Johansing, M.Sc. Econ. Geol., P. Geo., who is an independent Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101 has reviewed and approved the technical content of this press release.
For further information please contact:
82 Richmond St. East, First Floor
Toronto, Ontario M5C 1P1
Tel: 416-409-8441 Email: info@nevadazinc.com
Max Vichniakov, President, CEO and Director
Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This news release may contain forward-looking statements including but not limited to comments regarding the results, timing and content of the work being performed by Hazen. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "does not expect", "plans", "anticipates", "does not anticipate", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential", "scheduled", "forecast", "budget" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could", "should" or "might" occur. Forward-looking statements are based on the current opinions and expectations of management. All forward-looking information is inherently uncertain and subject to a variety of assumptions, risks and uncertainties, including the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development, fluctuating commodity and zinc chemicals prices, the effectiveness and feasibility of technologies which have not yet been tested or proven on a commercial scale, competitive risks and the availability of financing, as described in more detail in our recent securities filings available at www.sedar.com. Actual events or results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements and we caution against placing undue reliance thereon. We assume no obligation to revise or update these forward-looking statements except as required by applicable law.
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