Brazilian Rare Earths Doubles Ore Grades with Sensor-Based Sorting
Event summary
- Brazilian Rare Earths achieved >2x grade enrichment in Monte Alto ore, boosting TREO from 12.4% to ~27% in single-pass sorting.
- Cascade sorting produced +20% TREO concentrate with 96-99% recoveries and rejected 25% of feed mass as waste.
- Process delivers +95% yields with lower capex/opex and reduced environmental footprint.
- Results validate dry beneficiation pathway for direct hydrometallurgical processing.
- Follows successful ANSTO collaboration demonstrating high-purity rare earth carbonate production.
The big picture
The results position Monte Alto as an outlier in rare earth mining, where typical projects suffer from low head grades and complex processing. This dry beneficiation breakthrough could reshape the cost structure of high-grade rare earth production, particularly for scandium, uranium, and critical minerals co-products. The validation of sensor-based sorting aligns with broader industry trends toward energy-efficient, low-waste mineral processing technologies.
What we're watching
- Technology Scaling
- Whether BRE can maintain +95% yields when scaling multi-sensor system to 100% of run-of-mine material.
- Cost Advantage
- How sustained lower capex/opex will impact Monte Alto's competitive positioning in high-grade rare earth supply.
- Downstream Integration
- The pace at which BRE advances direct hydrometallurgical processing flowsheet design.
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