ABx Group (ASX:ABX) has taken a leap toward commercialisation after receiving formal validation for its mixed rare earth carbonate from the Deep Leads Project in northern Tasmania.
US-based Rare Earth Technologies confirmed that the MREC sample produced from the site’s ionic adsorption clay deposit meets the high-purity standards required for advanced downstream refining.
The endorsement saw the company’s share price climb 6.25% as investors reacted to the first formal customer verification of the product’s quality and compatibility.
The rigorous assessment involved RETi applying its proprietary chromatographic separation process to the Tasmanian feedstock.
Results indicated that the material dissolved completely and responded effectively to cerium removal, yielding high-purity rare earth streams.
RETi’s feedback underscores the material’s suitability as a primary feedstock for Western supply chains, a sector currently seeing heightened geopolitical and industrial interest.
CEO Mark Cooksey noted that while rare earth quality requirements are infamously stringent and application-specific, this "very strong supporting evidence" confirms that the Deep Leads MREC can be processed using established commercial methods.
ABx Group and RETi are set to transition into formal supply discussions, which will include testing larger sample volumes at RETi’s facilities.
At the time of reporting, ABx Group's share price was $0.068.