Comments on: Will Changes In The Chinese Yuan Really Affect The Rare Earths Industry? https://www.techmetalsresearch.net/will-changes-in-the-chinese-yuan-really-affect-the-rare-earths-industry/ Commentary & analysis on rare earths and other technology metals Thu, 01 Jul 2010 02:32:31 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.2 By: Tek https://www.techmetalsresearch.net/will-changes-in-the-chinese-yuan-really-affect-the-rare-earths-industry/#comment-363 Thu, 01 Jul 2010 02:32:31 +0000 https://www.techmetalsresearch.net/?p=1222#comment-363 Alec, 70% was a ballpark average , but it may be more like 60% from mine to finished metal. Each orebody and each metal oxide within that orebody will have varied extraction rates, so there probably isn’t any one figure that would apply across the board. You just have to wait along with everyone else until the company has done a complete metalurgical analysis and is willing to publish it.

]]> By: Alec https://www.techmetalsresearch.net/will-changes-in-the-chinese-yuan-really-affect-the-rare-earths-industry/#comment-361 Tue, 29 Jun 2010 17:03:31 +0000 https://www.techmetalsresearch.net/?p=1222#comment-361 Hansel and Tek: Thanks for the info.

Tek, was your last figure (70%) referring to recoveries from Bayan-Obo?

Also, Molycorp’s S-1 form contains the following statement:

“We are now achieving greater than 98% recovery in our solvent extraction units at commercial scale for lanthanum, didymium and SEG concentrate…”

]]> By: Hansel4 https://www.techmetalsresearch.net/will-changes-in-the-chinese-yuan-really-affect-the-rare-earths-industry/#comment-352 Wed, 23 Jun 2010 22:31:47 +0000 https://www.techmetalsresearch.net/?p=1222#comment-352 Hey guys, going of the ARU’s website and their research these are some of the recovery rates for the existing and up and coming REE projects in the world.

http://www.arafuraresources.com.au/nol_res.html

]]> By: Tek https://www.techmetalsresearch.net/will-changes-in-the-chinese-yuan-really-affect-the-rare-earths-industry/#comment-351 Wed, 23 Jun 2010 21:32:00 +0000 https://www.techmetalsresearch.net/?p=1222#comment-351 Alec,

Avalon is quoting about 80% TREO recovery in the floatation process for their Thor Lake mine (see Rare Metal Blog). Ucore’s government program in the 1980’s reported 95-100% recovery of Yttrium from the the concentrate at their Bokan Mountain site, though that does not necessarily reflect what their TREO recovery would be.
As I recall, the general figures from insitu to refined 99.999% was in the area of a total 70%, meaning a 30% loss overall. I’m sure that it will vary according to each orebody, but Jack would be a much better source for this answer.

]]> By: D. Carlton Rossi https://www.techmetalsresearch.net/will-changes-in-the-chinese-yuan-really-affect-the-rare-earths-industry/#comment-350 Wed, 23 Jun 2010 20:14:12 +0000 https://www.techmetalsresearch.net/?p=1222#comment-350 It may be useful to examine the issue of deflation and inflation. The United States seems to be in a period of deflation marked by falling wages and incomes, real estate prices, stock prices, interest rates and expectations. China seems to be in a period of inflation marked by rising wages and incomes, real estate prices, stock prices, interest rates and expectations. However, it may be that there will be a reversal within the not too distant future. In this scenario, printing money and loose credit in the United States may trigger inflation while in China the speculative buying of real estate may cause a collapse in the market. This might mark the start of a deflationary period in the Chinese economy. Does this mean that REE projects that are planned now in the West will perhaps meet unexpectedly high future costs while at the same time there may be a deflationary impact on the price of the metals if Chinese demand weakens.

]]> By: Admin https://www.techmetalsresearch.net/will-changes-in-the-chinese-yuan-really-affect-the-rare-earths-industry/#comment-349 Wed, 23 Jun 2010 18:48:00 +0000 https://www.techmetalsresearch.net/?p=1222#comment-349 Thank you for the feedback, REE1 – we’ve now added a Print link before and after each posting.

]]> By: REE1 https://www.techmetalsresearch.net/will-changes-in-the-chinese-yuan-really-affect-the-rare-earths-industry/#comment-348 Wed, 23 Jun 2010 18:21:45 +0000 https://www.techmetalsresearch.net/?p=1222#comment-348 You have this fancy new web site, and still no Print button. C;mon guys!

]]> By: Alec https://www.techmetalsresearch.net/will-changes-in-the-chinese-yuan-really-affect-the-rare-earths-industry/#comment-347 Wed, 23 Jun 2010 15:29:35 +0000 https://www.techmetalsresearch.net/?p=1222#comment-347 Tek (or anyone else),

Do we know what REO recovery percentages are being achieved in China right now–namely with Bayan-Obo Bastnasite?

]]> By: Tek https://www.techmetalsresearch.net/will-changes-in-the-chinese-yuan-really-affect-the-rare-earths-industry/#comment-344 Wed, 23 Jun 2010 02:41:05 +0000 https://www.techmetalsresearch.net/?p=1222#comment-344 For the time being, I would assume that any western miner/company producing concentrate in the next 3 years will have to find a separation facility in lieu of building one. How would this be accomplished?
Would the miner send a sample for analysis and take a quote for the facility to set a contractual timeline and price for developing their own proprietary separation process.
Or, if the company had resolved their own specific ore body separation metallurgy, would they risk sharing their process?
I imagine a third option would occur if the separation could be accomplished by currently known conventional means, and simply bid out as using that process, even if there were a better and more efficient one out there.
This all comes back to resetting the price, and China will have a ringside seat to watch the international progress.

]]>