News and Announcements
ALTECH – Halloysite Discovered at Kerrigan Kaolin Deposit
- Published October 13, 2021 12:00AM UTC
- Publisher Wholesale Investor
- Categories Company Updates
Altech Chemicals Limited (Altech/the Company) (ASX: ATC) (FRA: A3Y) is pleased to announce the discovery of halloysite at its Kerrigan kaolin deposit in Western Australia. The halloysite was observed during the recent processing of samples from its 2020 air-core drilling campaign1 The Kerrigan deposit is located 20kms south of the central wheat belt town of Hyden, Western Australia and sits within exploration licence E70/4718-I, which covers an area of approximately 480km2. The licence was granted in 2015 and is 100% owned by Altech.
Highlights
• Halloysite discovery at Kerrigan kaolin deposit
• Halloysite nanotubes could replace carbon nanotubes in high-tech applications
• More detailed investigation planned for the Kerrigan deposit
Halloysite is a tubular form of the kaolin group of minerals where the mineral naturally occurs as nanotubes; microscopic tubes, the diameter of which is measured in nanometres (one millionth of a millimetre). The properties of halloysite nanotubes make halloysite products ideally suited to a diverse range of specialist applications, attracting a significant premium above the average kaolin price. Halloysite has long been prized in the manufacture of high-grade porcelain and ceramics improving strength and chip-resistance.
Halloysite has attracted research interest for the development of new products such as fibre reinforcement in polymers and as micro-containers for controlled delivery of active agents. More recently, halloysite has been promoted as a lower cost alternative to carbon nanotubes which have many high-tech applications such as hydrogen storage and carbon capture.
Initial x-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) investigations into the presence of halloysite in Altech’s Kerrigan kaolin deposit are encouraging, One of the six samples examined demonstrated abundant tubular structures consistent with halloysite. Three other samples examined demonstrated similar halloysite rod like structures and their tubular nature will be confirmed with further investigation.
The Company has embarked on further test work involving 31 samples which will aim to confirm and determine the significance of the initial results. The occurrence of halloysite within the Kerrigan kaolin deposit does not imply any economic benefit at this stage of test work. The Company remains committed and focussed on finalising finance for its high purity alumina (HPA) plant in Johor, Malaysia and advancing the preliminary feasibility study for construction of a battery materials high purity alumina coating plant in Saxony, Germany.
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