About
An Emerging Explorer
Abercrombie Resources is a privately funded critical minerals explorer with an exploration permit application (EPM 28626) covering over 30,000 hectares north of Weipa. The project is targeting Kaolin, Silica, High Purity Alumina, Rare Earth Elements and Heavy Mineral Sands.
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The project is located on the traditional lands of the Mbakwithi, Taepadhighi, Thanakwithi, Tjungundji, and Yupungathi peoples.
Critical Minerals
Critical minerals are necessary for the manufacture of high technology devices, military applications, and rapidly growing clean energy technologies. Numerous minerals including Kaolin, High Purity Alumina (HPA) and Rare Earth Elements (REE) are considered critical minerals by the US and Australian governments.
Kaolin
Kaolin is a naturally occurring clay mineral that originates from the weathering of aluminum silicate rocks, primarily feldspar and granite. It forms through the gradual breakdown of these rocks over million of years, resulting in the formation of the fine white or grayish-white powder.
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Kaolin is a versatile clay mineral that has widespread applications in industries including ceramics, paper, paints, plastics, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, construction, fiberglass, oil and gas, environmental management, food, and catalysis.
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More recently, Kaolin has been used as a cement substitute in concrete, contributing to enhanced strength, improved durability, reduced risk of alkali-silica reaction, better workability, and environmental sustainability. This decreases the need for conventional Portland cement and will reduce the carbon footprint associated with cement production.
Rare Earth Elements
The rare earth elements (REE) are a set of seventeen metallic elements. These include the fifteen lanthanides on the periodic table plus scandium and yttrium. REEs have many applications including magnets and super magnets, motors, metal alloys, electronic and computing equipment, batteries, catalytic converters, petroleum refining, medical imaging, colouring agents in glass and ceramics, phosphors, lasers and special glass
REEs are found in diverse types of deposits globally, including ionic clay deposits in tropical regions, carbonatite deposits associated with alkaline igneous rocks, and phosphate deposits in several countries. Additionally, laterite deposits in tropical areas, bauxite residues from alumina production, and hard-rock deposits in locations like Greenland and Australia are significant sources of REEs.
Ionic clay rare earth deposits are geological formations characterised by the accumulation of REEs in clay-rich soils. These deposits are often found in tropical and subtropical regions, with notable occurrences in China, Malaysia, Australia and Vietnam. Extracting REEs from ionic clay deposits typically involves the use of a mild chemical leaching processes, making them the preferred alternative source of REEs to traditional hard-rock mining.
High Purity Alumina
High purity alumina (HPA) is an ultra-pure form of aluminum oxide, typically exceeding 99.99% purity. It is derived from kaolin, through a refining process that involves various stages of purification, including chemical and physical methods.
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HPA possesses exceptional properties such as high thermal resistance, outstanding electrical insulation, and remarkable transparency, making it a vital material in the manufacturing of LED lights, lithium-ion batteries, semiconductors, and synthetic sapphires for numerous high-tech applications. HPA's unparalleled purity and versatility make it highly sought after in advanced industries.
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Market growth is expected to be 15-20% per annum over the next 5 years.
Heavy MIneral Sands
Heavy mineral sands (HMS) are sedimentary deposits composed of a variety of heavy minerals, primarily ilmenite, rutile, leucoxene, zircon, and monazite.
Deposits are often found in coastal areas and are valuable for their mineral content.
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These minerals have applications in various industries: titanium dioxide for pigments and coatings, zircon for ceramics and foundry sands, and monazite for nuclear reactors and rare earth elements.
Silica Sand
Silica sand is a granular material composed of tiny grains of quartz, a form of silicon dioxide (SiO2). It is a widely used industrial material with various applications.
Silica sand is primarily known for its role in the production of glass.
It's also used in solar panels, construction, foundry casting, hydraulic fracturing ("fracking"), water filtration, and in the production of silicon wafers for electronics.
Its high purity and versatility make it an essential resource in numerous industries.
Pennefather River Project
EPM 28626
Situated 30 kilometres north of Weipa, the permit area has had a great deal of historic exploration conducted by various companies. A large kaolin deposit was identified by Comalco when it explored the area in the 1990’s. According to Comalco's 2002 report, the estimated resource at that time was an impressive 2.8 billion tonnes of kaolin. During this campaign, Comalco produced a commerical grade kaolin from the Pennefather River samples similar to their product from their mine at Weipa. Abercormbie Resources believe that there is the potential for a multi-commodity operation, including Kaolin, HPA, Rare Earth Elements, Silica, and Heavy Mineral Sands.
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Abercrombie Resources welcomes engagement with interested parties seeking to become involved with this project and the company.
Meet the Team
Traditional Owner Acknowledgement
Abercrombie Resources acknowledges Aboriginal people as the Traditional Custodians of the lands on which it explores. Abercrombie Resources acknowledges and respects their enduring connection to the lands, waterways and communities and pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.
