OD6 Metals Limited Delivers Breakthrough in Rare Earth Extraction with Premium, Low-Impunity MREC/MREH Yields and Global Growth Potential

Wednesday, August 13, 2025
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8:44 am
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OD6 Metals Limited has reached a key milestone at its Splinter Rock project by producing high-grade mixed rare earth products with premium magnetic content and low impurities. This breakthrough enhances its competitive edge for international offtake agreements in high-tech and renewable energy sectors.

OD6 Metals Limited has announced significant progress at its Splinter Rock Rare Earth Project, detailing the successful production of high-quality mixed rare earth products using its newly refined metallurgical flowsheet. The company has demonstrated the ability to produce both Mixed Rare Earth Carbonate (MREC) at approximately 56% total rare earth oxide (TREO) and Mixed Rare Earth Hydroxide (MREH) at around 59% TREO. Using an innovative combination of heap leaching, nanofiltration, ion exchange, and final impurity removal, the process minimizes acid usage while delivering products with low levels of impurities such as aluminum, iron, phosphorus, and silicon. Notably, the final products contain ultra-low uranium and thorium levels (<0.001% each), with over 90% of the product’s value deriving from key magnetic rare earth elements including neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium, and terbium. The metallurgical testwork, conducted over nine months in collaboration with the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), confirms that the flowsheet development meets or exceeds global benchmarks for MREC and MREH quality. Operating within a controlled pH range—from an initial 4.1–4.4 progressing to 7.1–7.5 during product precipitation—the process ensures minimal co-precipitation losses of recoverable rare earth elements. This achievement positions OD6 as a leading contender among global rare earth projects, with the high magnetic rare earth content aimed at fulfilling critical demand from end users in defense, electronics, and renewable energy sectors. Strategic partnerships have been instrumental in reaching this milestone. OD6 Metals is working closely with ANSTO and CPC Engineering on an optioneering study to assess multiple flowsheet pathways, focusing on cost efficiency, recovery rates, scalability, and overall product quality. The company is also actively engaging potential offtake partners across North America, Europe, and Asia, seeking to secure premium payability and market access for its products. Scale-up initiatives are planned to validate the process further, as additional heap leaching tests and drill core sampling are expected to bolster the testwork findings. From a market sentiment perspective, the news carries both bullish and bearish elements. On the bullish side, the successful demonstration of a scalable, low-impurity production process for high-value, magnet-rich rare earth elements bolsters OD6 Metals’ competitive edge. The strategic partnerships and future plans for additional testwork and pilot scale validation further underscore the project's potential to secure favorable commercial terms and capture global market share. Conversely, some caution is warranted; the project remains in the testwork phase, and further scale-up and technical optimization are required before full commercial production can be achieved. Investors should consider these risks alongside the promising technical milestones that lay a strong foundation for future growth.

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