Locksley cracks cleaner path to US antimony processing

Locksley Resources and its research partner, the esteemed US Rice University, have delivered a stunning hydrometallurgical breakthrough that could be a game-changer for establishing a US-based antimony supply chain.

The collaboration has successfully used its proprietary “DeepSolv” technology to upgrade low-grade antimony ore, which contains between 9 and 12 per cent of the critical metal, into a high-purity product with up to 93 per cent antimony. The result is particularly impressive as it was achieved without the need for pre-concentration steps such as flotation.

The DeepSolv technology, an emerging low-temperature process, is being evaluated as a cleaner and lower-impact alternative to traditional high-temperature smelting.

Adding to the growing list of technical wins, the lab techs also successfully produced “phase pure” antimony oxide. In what could prove the most significant breakthrough yet, the lab used electrodeposition to recover pure metallic antimony from a solution created by dissolving higher-grade antimony concentrates containing 65 to 70 per cent antimony.

‘It supports the company’s strategy of advancing U.S. based antimony processing capability.’

Locksley Resources managing director Kerrie Matthews

The process yielded recovered products grading between 91 and 96 per cent of the metal. Together, the test results appear to demonstrate a clear, increasingly integrated processing pathway, from ore leaching through to the recovery of high-purity antimony oxide and metal.

Locksley Resources managing director Kerrie Matthews said: “These latest results represent another important technical milestone in our collaboration with Rice University. They demonstrate that DeepSolv™ processing technology has the potential to unlock a cleaner and more flexible antimony recovery pathway. The work has now moved beyond simple leaching tests and has demonstrated recovery of both antimony oxide and metallic antimony products from ore and concentrates.”

The partnership with Rice is a key pillar of Locksley’s broader mine-to-market strategy, combining the company’s resource development in the Mojave Desert with downstream innovation.

Notably, any intellectual property generated through the program is jointly owned by both parties, creating a pathway to long-term strategic value as the technology matures.

Locksley’s Mojave project in California is supplying the ore for the research program. Recent drilling at its Desert Antimony Mine prospect confirmed mineralisation below historical workings, with hits including 0.3m at a solid 6.44 per cent antimony.

The broader project also hosts the El Campo rare earths prospect, which sits just 5.5km from the only operating rare earths mine in the US, MP Materials’ massive Mountain Pass operation.

With the process now proven in the lab, the next phase of work is set to get a whole lot more serious. Locksley and Rice will focus on optimising DeepSolv, including improving solvent recyclability and assessing pilot-scale equipment, such as reactors and filtration systems, to support larger-scale test work.

For the junior explorer, this is a savvy move. By cracking the downstream processing code and securing joint ownership of the technology, Locksley is doing more than just looking for a deposit.

It appears to be piecing together the key components of an integrated domestic supply chain for a mineral the US government has deemed critical for its economic and national security.

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