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Celebrating 23 years in the industry, InvestorNews Inc. is the proud publisher of InvestorNews.com, your premier source for capital market and equity funding news. Known for unbiased reporting by elite analysts and seasoned journalists, InvestorNews presents online and in-person events via InvestorTalk C-presentation Q&A series. Investor.Coffee offers regular interviews and podcasts. They also spearhead the Critical Minerals Institute, promoting critical minerals essential for a decarbonized economy.

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August 13, 20263 min

First Phosphate Takes PHOS to Nasdaq as Its North American LFP Strategy Advances

First Phosphate Corp. (Nasdaq: PHOS | CSE: PHOS | OTCQX: FRSPF | FSE: KD0) has opened a significant new chapter in its capital markets strategy with the listing of its American Depositary Receipts on the Nasdaq Global Market. In an InvestorNews interview, CEO and Director John Passalacqua discussed what the listing means for the company, its existing shareholders and its ability to reach a broader institutional audience in the United States.The company’s Level 2 American Depositary Receipts began trading on Nasdaq under the symbol PHOS on August 10, 2026. Each ADR represents 10 First Phosphate common shares, while the company’s existing listings on the Canadian Securities Exchange, OTCQX and Frankfurt Stock Exchange remain in place. First Phosphate confirmed that the Nasdaq listing did not involve a new securities offering, the issuance of additional shares or a concurrent capital raise.That distinction matters for existing shareholders. A dual listing can sometimes be misunderstood as an inherently dilutive event, but First Phosphate’s Nasdaq transaction provides an additional trading mechanism for the company’s existing equity rather than creating a new pool of common shares.“There was no capital raise at the time,” Passalacqua explained. “There was no dilution to shareholders. It was just a net positive without any downside for us.”The company also secured the highly recognizable PHOS ticker on Nasdaq, matching the symbol under which its common shares trade on the CSE. Passalacqua said management had been watching the symbol for some time and moved quickly when it became available. The result is a consistent market identity for First Phosphate across its principal North American listings.The more consequential advantage, however, may be access. Certain U.S. institutional investment mandates restrict purchases to securities traded on major American exchanges. By establishing a Nasdaq traded ADR, First Phosphate has made its equity more accessible to U.S. institutions, funds and investors that may previously have been unable or unwilling to purchase securities on a Canadian exchange.“Now we’re accessible to anyone anywhere in the world on one of the world’s largest, most prestigious and accessible exchanges,” Passalacqua said.First Phosphate marked the listing with an August 13th opening bell ceremony at the Nasdaq MarketSite in Times Square. The company’s board and management team are also using the New York visit to conduct institutional meetings, private discussions and several larger investor gatherings. The company described the ceremony as recognition of its progress toward building a vertically integrated North American lithium iron phosphate battery supply chain.The Nasdaq listing arrives as First Phosphate advances its flagship Bégin-Lamarche phosphate project in Quebec’s Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region. The company is positioning the project as a potential source of high-purity igneous phosphate for lithium iron phosphate batteries serving energy storage, data centres, robotics, mobility and national security markets.To read the full column, go to: https://bit.ly/4zfdaOz Disclaimer: Video interviews and other video content published by InvestorNews are produced as part of paid media services. The issuer or company featured in this video has compensated InvestorNews for the creation and publication of such content. The views expressed in these interviews are those of the interviewees or guests and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or positions of InvestorNews, its writers, or its affiliates. For full details, please refer to our complete disclaimer at www.investornews.com/disclaimer

August 11, 202611 min

Voyageur Advances Bayer Collaboration and Critical Minerals in the American Pharmaceutical Industry

When investors discuss critical minerals, they usually think about defense, energy and advanced manufacturing. Less attention is paid to the minerals required by the pharmaceutical industry, even when their availability directly affects whether hospitals can perform essential diagnostic procedures.That is what makes Voyageur Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (TSXV: VM | OTC Pink: VYYRF) an unusual critical minerals story. The company’s “From Earth to Bottle” strategy is designed to control the supply chain for barium and iodine from the original resource through processing and into finished medical imaging contrast drugs.During our August 6th interview, President, CEO and Director Brent Willis provided an update on Voyageur’s collaboration with Bayer, its Mueller iodine extraction technology, the Frances Creek barite project and plans for an integrated U.S. contrast media manufacturing facility.“Things are proceeding very well with Bayer. “…we just completed our work plan with Bayer. So, they've approved it, and we're moving forward with getting the next tranche of $1 million to come in to fund the project,” Willis said.Under the collaboration agreement, Bayer may provide Voyageur with up to US$2.35 million in milestone-based funding for feasibility work on a proposed iodine extraction and production facility in Oklahoma. Voyageur has also engaged Fluor Corporation to complete feasibility studies on the Bayer iodine project and the company’s planned integrated barium and iodine contrast drug manufacturing facility.Voyageur has established a laboratory and fabrication site in Houston to advance the Mueller Process using iodine-rich oilfield brines. Four days after our interview, the company reported iodine purity of 99.8% and overall recovery exceeding 90% in laboratory testing. A mobile pilot unit capable of treating approximately 80,000 litres of brine per day has been built, with field testing planned for September 2026.“That's going to allow Fluor Engineering to accumulate the data they require to scale up and complete our feasibility study for the projects,” Willis explained.The Bayer project is only one part of the Voyageur strategy. The company owns 100% of the Frances Creek barite project in British Columbia and has developed five barium contrast products licensed by Health Canada. Barite remains on the 2025 U.S. List of Critical Minerals, where its role in medical imaging is specifically recognized.“And so, having our own barium resource that's pharmaceutical grade in the ground gives us a significant advantage in cost savings and supply chain security and allows us to be the only producer of barium contrast in North America with our own source at very low costs and secure supply chain,” Willis said.The iodine market carries similar supply chain risks. Willis pointed to the pandemic era shutdown of GE HealthCare’s Shanghai contrast media facility as an example of how concentrated production can affect North American hospitals.“So, when we looked at what happened in COVID on the iodine drug side, the United States lost 50% of their supply because GE had to shut a plant down in Shanghai, China.”Disclaimer: Voyageur Pharmaceuticals Ltd. is an advertorial member of InvestorNews Inc. The quoted statements are taken directly from the August 6, 2026 post InvestorTalk interview and include forward-looking information. Video interviews and other video content published by InvestorNews are produced as part of paid media services. The issuer or company featured in this video has compensated InvestorNews for the creation and publication of such content. The views expressed in these interviews are those of the interviewees or guests and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or positions of InvestorNews, its writers, or its affiliates. For full details, please refer to our complete disclaimer at www.investornews.com/disclaimer

August 6, 20268 min

Volta Metals’ Springer Combines a Top 10 Rare Earths Deposit with Emerging Gallium Potential

Gallium rarely headlines a North American rare earths story. At Volta Metals Ltd.’s (CSE: VLTA | OTCQB: VOLMF) Springer deposit in Ontario, however, it may become the feature that changes the scale and strategic importance of the entire project.Speaking with InvestorNews host Tracy Hughes, Volta Metals President, CEO and Director Kerem Usenmez outlined a series of developments now converging at Springer: continuing high grade gallium results, further rare earth drilling, advanced metallurgical work and a clear path toward consolidating 100% ownership of the project.“We are extremely pleased with the results,” Usenmez said. “The high grade gallium numbers continue, accompanied by strong rare earth mineralization. We have also secured additional claims along strike and established a path to acquire the remaining 20% interest in Springer.”With 13 additional boreholes completed and most of the assay results still to come, the next phase of Springer’s development is already taking shape. Results from three holes have been released, and the full program will support another rare earth resource update expected by the end of summer. Depending on the remaining assays, Volta may return to Springer for further drilling.In parallel, advanced metallurgical work is examining gallium recovery and the potential to establish a separate gallium resource. The immediate objective is to demonstrate not simply that gallium is present, but that it can be recovered into a commercially viable product alongside Springer’s rare earths.That work will lead directly into a preliminary economic assessment examining potential mining and processing methods, development costs, timelines and the most efficient path toward production. Usenmez expects the PEA to be completed early in 2027, potentially in January or February.The coming months could therefore redefine Springer on two fronts: a rare earth resource with the potential to move into North America’s top five, and an emerging gallium resource in a market overwhelmingly controlled by China. “The consistently wide, high grade gallium intercepts on top of the high grade rare earths could put us on a different level,” Usenmez said. “That is what we are working toward now.”Disclaimer: Video interviews and other video content published by InvestorNews are produced as part of paid media services. The issuer or company featured in this video has compensated InvestorNews for the creation and publication of such content. The views expressed in these interviews are those of the interviewees or guests and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or positions of InvestorNews, its writers, or its affiliates. For full details, please refer to our complete disclaimer at www.investornews.com/disclaimer

August 5, 202616 min

Grid Metals’ Robin Dunbar and Brandon Smith on Cesium and the Avenir Joint Venture at Falcon West

In a recent interview with InvestorNews host Tracy Hughes, Robin Dunbar, President, CEO and Director of Grid Metals Corp. (TSXV: GRDM | OTCQB: MSMGF), and Brandon Smith, Chief Development Officer, discussed the company’s new joint venture with Avenir Minerals Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Agnico Eagle Mines Limited, at the Falcon West cesium project in southeastern Manitoba.“Normally, with an extremely large company and a small company like us, it’s difficult for the smaller party to maintain a majority interest in the project,” Dunbar said. Under the agreement, Avenir acquired an initial 15% interest for C$3.75 million, while Grid retained 85% and remains operator. Following a mineral resource estimate, Avenir may increase its equity position in Grid from approximately 9.9% to as much as 19.99%. It may also acquire another 15% of Falcon West upon completion of a preliminary economic assessment or adoption of a mine plan.Smith said the structure was designed around the financing challenges common to minor metals. “The big risk in minor metals is that it’s very hard sometimes to market these and to finance them properly,” he explained. “What we’ve done with those stages of funding at key milestones is that hopefully [it] can get us effectively financed to production.” He added: “Now we have a world-class partner who can help us get to production and ensure that we can get into production and get the best possible price for the product we’re going to produce.”Dunbar said Falcon West’s appeal begins with geology. “What you’re looking for --- cesium, is the mineral pollucite, which occurs in pegmatite,” he said. “Finding that anywhere in the world in fractionated pegmatites is extremely rare.” The occurrence lies close to the Trans-Canada Highway, comes nearly to surface and, under the company’s current concept, would be mined to a depth of roughly 40 metres. “It’ll be a fairly small, shallow open-pit operation, but very high grade,” he said.Processing could also be comparatively simple. “You mine the rock and you crush it,” Dunbar said. After crushing, ore sorting would separate the mineralized material from waste, potentially producing a concentrate grading approximately 15% to 20% cesium oxide. “That 15% to 20% cesium product is a saleable product,” he said. “That’s the feedstock for the cesium chemical industry.”The dry process would not require a conventional mill, process water or tailings storage. “Because you’re not putting in major infrastructure and you’re not using water in the process, it’s more akin to permitting a quarry versus a mine,” Dunbar said. “Our goal is to get that in production as soon as possible,” he added, “and get some product to market and then look for more and try to expand our position in the cesium market.”Smith identified the maiden mineral resource estimate, targeted for fall 2026, as the next major milestone. “The big one is the maiden resource,” he said. Metallurgical work, bulk-sample preparation, discussions with potential offtakers and permitting are expected to advance in parallel, followed by a PEA or mine plan in 2027. Grid also intends to conduct additional exploration drilling. “We are going to look for more as well,” Smith said, adding that “there’s still some targets that we have to test.”Disclaimer: Video interviews and other video content published by InvestorNews are produced as part of paid media services. The issuer or company featured in this video has compensated InvestorNews for the creation and publication of such content. The views expressed in these interviews are those of the interviewees or guests and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or positions of InvestorNews, its writers, or its affiliates. For full details, please refer to our complete disclaimer at www.investornews.com/disclaimer

July 29, 202612 min

American Tungsten Advances Idaho’s IMA Mine as Washington Prioritizes Domestic Tungsten

President Donald Trump’s July 20th executive order arrived at a consequential moment for American Tungsten Corp. (TSXV: TUNG | OTCQB: TUNGF | FSE: RK90). The company is advancing the past-producing IMA Mine in Idaho just as Washington is demanding greater visibility into defense supply chains and encouraging contractors to qualify new domestic sources of critical materials.In a recent InvestorNews interview, Tracy Hughes spoke with CEO and Director Ali Haji about how the executive order strengthens the strategic case for rebuilding tungsten production in the United States. The order restricts waivers for materials from covered nations, requires more extensive supply-chain mapping and directs the accelerated qualification of domestic and allied suppliers.For American Tungsten, the policy shift supports a strategy already underway at IMA. The company is pursuing a phased development plan beginning with the evaluation and potential processing of historical surface tailings, followed by the rehabilitation and restart of the underground mine.“We are still aiming and on track to be the first producer of concentrate in North America since 2015,” Haji told InvestorNews.The company’s immediate milestones are intended to establish whether that ambition can become an economically viable production plan. Haji said an updated mineral resource is expected in August, followed by a preliminary economic assessment before the end of October. American Tungsten is also targeting its first concentrate sale later this year.Potential customers are already examining the material. Haji said three North American parties have received and tested samples from the IMA Mine, with discussions concerning the tailings approaching commercial terms. Interest in future underground production remains non-binding while the parties await the sustained production profile expected to be outlined in the PEA.Financing is another part of the development equation. American Tungsten has received a letter of interest from the Export-Import Bank of the United States for potential financing of up to US$25.5 million. The letter is not a commitment to lend, but it establishes a possible route toward project financing if American Tungsten completes EXIM’s requirements and receives final approval.The company’s argument extends beyond defense. Tungsten is used in semiconductor manufacturing, industrial drilling, aerospace systems and high-temperature applications—placing it inside both the national-security economy and the infrastructure supporting artificial intelligence.“Tungsten is not going anywhere,” Haji said, pointing to its hardness, heat resistance and limited substitutability.Policy support cannot replace resource definition, engineering, permitting, financing or execution. American Tungsten must still deliver each of those steps. What Washington’s latest order does provide is a more urgent strategic context for the company’s work: the United States is no longer merely discussing domestic critical mineral capacity; it is beginning to require the supply chains that capacity must support.Disclaimer: Video interviews and other video content published by InvestorNews are produced as part of paid media services. The issuer or company featured in this video has compensated InvestorNews for the creation and publication of such content. The views expressed in these interviews are those of the interviewees or guests and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or positions of InvestorNews, its writers, or its affiliates. For full details, please refer to our complete disclaimer at www.investornews.com/disclaimer

July 28, 20267 min

Dr. Mark Andrich on CriticalMineralsPlatform.com Pricing Model for the Critical Minerals Industry

Strategic importance is a political designation; price is a market fact. Much of today’s critical minerals policy proceeds as though the first can compensate for uncertainty about the second. It cannot. Copper and gold have visible reference markets. Terbium, tungsten and many materials now indispensable to defense, robotics and advanced manufacturing do not.The International Energy Agency has described reliable price benchmarks as crucial to market development, particularly where low liquidity makes risk difficult to measure and investment decisions harder to defend. Price opacity is therefore not a secondary market defect. It is a constraint on capital formation.This was the subject of my recent conversation with Dr. Mark Andrich, CEO of Critical Minerals Platform (CMP), which currently tracks 67 minerals and 7,790 companies across 93 markets. The platform grew out of questions from North American clients that the available data could not adequately answer. “Most people didn’t understand what the critical minerals market was or how it was structured across the whole supply chain,” Andrich said.Between 2014 and 2017, his team developed algorithms to assemble company and government information, producing a database of approximately 40,000 companies and refining it to roughly 8,000 with direct relevance to critical minerals. CMP’s taxonomy begins with the finished product and works backwards through the companies, materials and processes required to manufacture it. A catalogue of deposits is not, after all, a map of industrial capability.Andrich’s most instructive observation concerned contract pricing. Contracts are confidential, often long term and may contain rebates that materially alter their apparent economics. A mineral recorded at $100 per kilogram might carry a 20-30% volume rebate in the following quarter. The stated price can be contractually accurate while remaining economically misleading.Trader quotations can be equally deceptive when they reflect small transactions in illiquid markets. “What we’re looking at is the industrial market,” Andrich explained—the price received by producers and paid by buyers closer to the source of the material.CMP responds by assigning a confidence level to its prices according to the number and reliability of the underlying sources. Its published methodology uses volume-weighted free-on-board prices drawn from producers, refiners and industrial consumers, while excluding longer-term agreements that do not reflect current market conditions.The same discipline informs its supply-chain work. “You start off with a simple question,” Andrich said, before undertaking the complicated analysis required to reach a simple answer. Tungsten illustrates the point. Its significance lies not only in the final component, but in “the tooling that is used to make products and make other products.”CMP’s Robotics & Automation Index, which includes tungsten, tantalum, cobalt and NdPr, has risen by more than 100% this year. Yet the index also exposes the unresolved issue at the centre of the critical minerals economy: strategic designation without credible price discovery is ultimately policy without a market.

July 24, 202620 min

Power Metallic’s Terry Lynch Says the AI Revolution Starts with Copper

The artificial intelligence boom is usually measured in chips, data centres, and soaring technology valuations. Terry Lynch, CEO and Director of Power Metallic Mines Inc. (TSXV: PNPN | OTCQB: PNPNF), argues that its most fundamental requirements begin much further down the supply chain—with power and the metals needed to deliver it.“One of the best ways—the most, I believe, asymmetric ways—to play AI is to buy really great mineral deposits because they are going to be a major beneficiary of the AI revolution,” Lynch told InvestorNews.Every major AI company requires enormous amounts of electricity, he explained, and the infrastructure carrying that power begins with copper. Lynch also pointed to nickel, platinum and palladium as metals that have been overlooked by the broader market despite their growing importance to the AI, energy and defense sectors.For Power Metallic, attention is now focused on an accelerated Mineral Resource Estimate for its high-grade Nisk–Lion discovery in Quebec, expected by the end of July. Lynch believes an independently prepared resource estimate will give the market a clearer basis for assessing the project’s size, grade and potential value. Additional catalysts cited during the interview include continued exploration results, a potential NASDAQ listing through American Depositary Shares and planned drilling in Saudi Arabia during the fourth quarter.Lynch said the company is well financed following its recent $28 million raise, providing a pathway through next spring without an immediate need to return to the market. Ultimately, however, his broader argument extends beyond Power Metallic: AI cannot expand without physical infrastructure, and physical infrastructure cannot be built without mined materials.“They all need massive amounts of power,” Lynch said. “And how do you get massive amounts of power in this world? Well, you deliver it on copper. It all starts with that.”Disclaimer: Video interviews and other video content published by InvestorNews are produced as part of paid media services. The issuer or company featured in this video has compensated InvestorNews for the creation and publication of such content. The views expressed in these interviews are those of the interviewees or guests and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or positions of InvestorNews, its writers, or its affiliates. For full details, please refer to our complete disclaimer at www.investornews.com/disclaimer

July 23, 202610 min

Spartan Metals Follows Technology Back to Tungsten

Spartan Metals Corp. (TSXV: W | OTCQB: SPRMF | FSE: J03) has assembled two very different tungsten opportunities in the American West: a large, comparatively advanced deposit in New Mexico and a group of past-producing mines in Nevada where exploration continues to expand the known mineralized footprint.In a recent InvestorNews interview, Tracy Hughes spoke with President, CEO and Director Brett Marsh about why he built Spartan around tungsten and how the company’s portfolio could contribute to America’s critical minerals supply chain.In New Mexico, Spartan’s Victorio Project contains a 2012 historical mineral resource estimate that the company describes as the largest tungsten resource in the United States. Approximately 100 historical drill holes have already been completed, allowing Spartan to concentrate on updating the resource, completing engineering studies and evaluating a potential development path rather than beginning with grassroots discovery.The scale of Victorio is complemented by the Eagle Project in eastern Nevada, which includes the past-producing Tungstonia, Yellow Jacket and Rees/Antelope mines. Marsh said historical production initially attracted Spartan to the district because it established that tungsten mineralization was present and potentially recoverable using the methods available at the time.Recent work has substantially widened that opportunity. Spartan reported that exploration at Tungstonia expanded the defined tungsten-silver mineralization footprint more than thirteenfold to approximately 5.7 square kilometres. Eight veins have now been confirmed over a cumulative exposed surface strike length of approximately 6.8 kilometres, with individual rock samples assaying as high as 5.18% tungsten trioxide. Sampling at the Rees Mine also returned individual assays of 6.76% and 8.48% tungsten trioxide.Marsh believes the combination of multiple former mines, high-grade surface occurrences and newly identified skarn mineralization could indicate a considerably larger system than earlier operators recognized. Geophysical work is now being used to refine targets ahead of planned drilling.Tungsten remains the foundation, but it is not the portfolio’s only potential source of value. Spartan has also identified silver, rubidium, antimony and copper at Eagle, while Victorio contains molybdenum, fluorspar and other critical minerals requiring further definition.For Marsh, the broader opportunity extends beyond traditional metals markets. Tungsten is used in semiconductor manufacturing, advanced industrial equipment and defence applications, placing it directly inside many of the technology supply chains now facing heightened geopolitical pressure.“If investors are into tech, go back through the value chain and look at all the inputs that go into that technology,” Marsh said.Spartan’s strategy is clear: advance domestic projects where tungsten is already known to exist and reconnect America’s technology ambitions with the raw materials required to realize them.Disclaimer: Video interviews and other video content published by InvestorNews are produced as part of paid media services. The issuer or company featured in this video has compensated InvestorNews for the creation and publication of such content. The views expressed in these interviews are those of the interviewees or guests and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or positions of InvestorNews, its writers, or its affiliates. For full details, please refer to our complete disclaimer at www.investornews.com/disclaimer

July 21, 202611 min

Nord Precious Metals Builds a New Silver Strategy at Gowganda

Historical tailings, high-grade exploration and a streamlined Ontario permitting framework are giving Nord Precious Metals several potential routes toward production.For Nord Precious Metals Mining Inc. (TSXV: NTH | OTCQB: NPMMF), the next chapter of Ontario’s historic Gowganda Silver Camp may begin not underground, but at the surface. In a recent InvestorNews interview with host Tracy Hughes, Chairman and CEO Frank Basa outlined a strategy that combines the potential reprocessing of historical tailings with continued high-grade silver exploration and a longer-term evaluation of the former mines beneath them.The foundation of that strategy is Nord’s acquisition of four mining leases adjacent to its Castle property. Completed in March 2026, the transaction consolidated a district-scale position containing eight past-producing mine shafts. The newly acquired leases also host a 2011 historical estimate of approximately 1.94 million tonnes grading 47.5 grams per tonne silver, representing approximately 2.96 million contained ounces at a 10 g/t cut-off.That estimate is historical and is not being treated by Nord as a current mineral resource. Additional verification, sampling and technical work will be required. Nevertheless, the historical data provide the company with a starting point: a substantial volume of previously mined material sitting at surface in a district known for exceptionally high-grade silver.A historical feasibility study reviewed by Nord contemplated annual production of approximately 325,000 ounces of silver over seven years. Historical metallurgical work reported recoveries ranging from 77% to 86%. These figures are not current production guidance, but they illustrate why management believes the tailings could offer a potentially shorter development pathway than a conventional underground mine.Basa explained that Nord is assessing three possible recovery routes. A gravity circuit could be comparatively simple and inexpensive, although management expects lower recoveries. Gravity followed by flotation could improve recovery, while cyanidation could potentially recover approximately 85% of the silver but would require a more sophisticated plant and permitting process. The final decision will depend on updated test work, capital and operating costs, regulatory requirements and the prevailing price of silver.Ontario’s new mineral-recovery framework is an important part of the equation. Introduced in July 2025, the framework created a dedicated regulatory pathway for recovering minerals from historical tailings and mine waste while requiring recovery and remediation planning, environmental safeguards and Indigenous consultation. Ontario issued its first permit under the new system in February 2026.Nord began its application process before acquiring the additional Gowganda leases, then paused to revise the proposed project around the larger consolidated tailings position. Basa said the company is seeking amendments that could allow material from several deposits to be processed through a common permitted operation. Management hopes to obtain the recovery permit during 2026 and, subject to engineering, financing and regulatory approvals, begin production late in 2027.The longer-term opportunity may lie beneath the tailings. By bringing eight former mine shafts into one property position, Nord can now evaluate areas that were historically divided by ownership boundaries. Basa believes some mineralization was left behind because the narrow-vein material did not meet the economic requirements of an era when silver traded at a fraction of today’s price. Management is therefore considering whether an open-pit concept could eventually complement tailings recovery, although no current economic assessment has established the viability of such a development.To read the full column, go to: https://bit.ly/4b0djLo

July 20, 20269 min

Quantum Critical Metals Targets Critical Minerals Recovery from Mica

In a recent InvestorNews interview, host Peter Clausi spoke with Marcy Kiesman, CEO and Director of Quantum Critical Metals Corp. (TSXV: LEAP | OTCQB: ATOXF), about the Company’s efforts to recover gallium, rubidium, cesium and other critical minerals from mica.Mica is often discarded into tailings because its light, flaky structure makes it difficult to handle and potentially harmful to the surrounding environment. Quantum believes that mica containing the right geochemical characteristics could instead become a valuable source of critical minerals used in cellphones, semiconductors, aerospace, defense and advanced electronics.“Somebody else’s junk is my treasure,” Kiesman told Clausi.Quantum’s flagship NMX East Project is located in Québec’s Eeyou Istchee James Bay region, near Nemaska Lithium’s Whabouchi Project and Power Metallic Mines Inc.’s (TSXV: PNPN | OTCQB: PNPNF) Nisk-Lion-Tiger polymetallic discoveries. The project also benefits from access to the Route du Nord and nearby Hydro-Québec infrastructure.“It’s a pretty enriched area,” Kiesman said. “We’ve got some great access. We’ve got the Route du Nord running through the project, and we’ve got a Hydro-Québec power station nearby.”The Company has identified gallium and rubidium associated with mica at NMX East. Mica represents approximately 10% of the rock examined to date, with portions of the drill core containing large, compressed sheets of the mineral.Quantum previously demonstrated approximately 55% rubidium recovery and is now working with the University of British Columbia to improve its results. The testing involves adjusting temperature and other processing conditions to determine the most effective method for recovering the targeted metals.Rather than relying on a conventional mill, Quantum is developing a hydrometallurgical process in which the mica is placed into a solution and the metals are extracted. Laboratory testing has already demonstrated that the process can recover metals from the material.“We’ve proved at the bench scale that we can remove the metals,” Kiesman said. “What we want to do with the pilot is work on a bigger scale, with more material, so people can see that it can be done with larger volumes.”Quantum is also evaluating mica sourced from third parties. The Company has received samples from India and Madagascar, with additional material expected from Finland, as mining companies explore whether critical minerals can be recovered from their existing waste streams.The longer-term objective is to develop small, modular processing systems that could be installed directly at mine sites. This could create opportunities for processing partnerships, technology licensing or site-specific installations without requiring a large centralized facility. With metallurgical testing continuing and preparations underway for pilot-scale work, Quantum is seeking to demonstrate that a material commonly treated as waste can become a new source of some of the world’s most strategically important critical minerals.