Chilwa Minerals Limited Advances Mposa Flowsheet Development with 51.1% Ilmenite and Multi-Commodity Revenue Potential
Monday, July 28, 2025
at
8:24 am
Chilwa Minerals Limited’s latest metallurgical tests at the Mposa deposit show promising high-grade ilmenite extraction and potential by-products including zircon, garnet, and rare earth concentrates. Advancements in flowsheet development boost the project’s multi-commodity potential, appealing to investors eyeing long-term value.
Chilwa Minerals Limited has released detailed metallurgical testwork results from its Mposa deposit that highlight promising recoveries for several high‐value mineral products. The company processed a 2.7-tonne blended bulk sample—representative of three geological domains (sand, silty sand, and clay)—to assess potential flowsheet parameters. The Phase 2 study, conducted by LightDeepEarth Pty Ltd, confirmed that industry standard mineral sands processing techniques can produce a sulfate grade ilmenite product assaying 51.1% TiO₂ while achieving a high overall recovery of titanium dioxide (93%) into the ilmenite concentrate. In parallel, tests indicate that 96% of zircon oxide is recovered in non-magnetic streams, with encouraging potential for monazite, garnet, and possibly rutile by-products.
The metallurgical work also demonstrated that gravity concentration of the blended feed produced a heavy mineral concentrate (HMC) that attains 89% total heavy minerals, with 91% of both TiO₂ and ZrO₂ from the feed successfully upgraded. These technical outcomes are crucial as they help shape the development of the project’s conceptual flowsheet, which will be finalized during an ongoing scoping study with TZ Minerals International, due for completion in Q4 2025. Further work remains to optimize processes for non-magnetic streams and assess additional revenue opportunities from rare earth minerals and garnet.
Market sentiment surrounding this development could be considered bullish due to the robust metallurgical performance metrics and the potential for multi-commodity revenue streams. The strong recoveries and industry-standard processing confidence suggest that Chilwa Minerals Limited is on track to develop commercial-grade products. Conversely, from a bearish viewpoint, uncertainties remain regarding the final processing of non-magnetic products and the need for further optimization of by-product recovery, indicating that significant testing and cost-benefit analyses are still ahead. Overall, the announcement provides a positive technical foundation while highlighting areas that require continued assessment as the project advances toward its scoping study milestone.