MONTREAL, Sept. 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- For the news
release, Orbite Announces Successful Development of High-Purity
Silica Process, issued on September 19,
2012, by Orbite Aluminae via PRNewswire, there is an updated
version of the announcement with a paragraph removed and the
previous version should be disregarded. The complete,
corrected release is as follows:
MONTREAL, Sept. 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Orbite Aluminae
(TSX: ORT; OTCQX:EORBF) (the "Company" or "Orbite")
today announced that, leveraging its patented processes for
high-purity and smelter-grade alumina production, the Company has
developed a purification technology to purify silica based on its
hydrochloric acid leaching process. This development allows
the Company to purify silica to the 99.9% (3N) level and provides a
conceptual base to eventually reach purities of 99.999% (5N) to
99.99999% (7N).
"We are very proud of this technological development," stated
Denis Primeau, the Company's Chief
Engineer. "Utilizing Orbite's existing processes, we can now
take a product that was already at acceptable levels of purity –
96% – up to levels of 3N and greater, making it a value added
product."
Mr. Richard Boudreault, President
and CEO of Orbite, added, "This is an important breakthrough,
particularly considering that silica will be a by-product of our
SGA and HPA plants and could provide a higher commercial
value than we had anticipated. Our PEA assumption was for
low-grade silica sold at a $25 per
tonne."
Silica is present in virtually all the raw materials used within
the Orbite process, and it provides an additional source of
potential revenue for the Company. Since the process is
well-suited to purify silica – and given the high proportion of
silica in Orbite's Grande-Vallee
clay deposit – Orbite may become a significant producer of purified
silica for mass production applications (e.g., cement, optical
glass, etc.) as well as for specialty products, photovoltaic
applications, electro-optics, and other industries.
Orbite's high-purity alumina (HPA) plant, on track to be
completed by the end of 2012, is expected to produce silica of
greater than 99.9% purity. The Company's smelter-grade
alumina (SGA) plant, projected to begin its first phase of
operations in 2014, will have the potential to produce up to 1.2
million tonnes of silica ranging from 95% to more than 99.9% at
maximum capacity.
INDEPENDENT EVALUATION
Orbite's silica purification technology was developed
in-house. The projected recovery rate of silica within
Orbite's global process is now 99.97% and with known methods could
reach 5N to 7N levels. The chemical analyses were obtained by
an independent laboratory (AGAT Laboratories) while the physical
characteristics were evaluated by the independent group Tekna.
The technical content in this press release has been reviewed
and approved by Denis Primeau, Eng., a "qualified person" pursuant
to National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure of Mineral
Projects (NI 43-101). Mr. Primeau is the Chief Engineer of Orbite,
and as such, is not independent pursuant to NI 43-101.
About Orbite
Orbite Aluminae Inc. is a Canadian cleantech company whose
innovative technologies are setting the new standard for alumina
production. Orbite technologies enable environmentally-neutral
extraction of smelter-grade alumina (SGA), high-purity alumina
(HPA) and high-value elements, including rare earths and rare
metals, from a variety of sources such as aluminous clay and
bauxite, without generating the toxic red mud residue that the
traditional Bayer process produces. The Company owns eleven
different families of intellectual property rights (and patents
pending) filed across the world for the extraction of alumina at
the highest standards of sustainability. Orbite also owns exclusive
mining rights over a total of 60,984 hectares, including the
6,665-hectare Grande-Vallée property, the site of an aluminous clay
deposit in Quebec, Canada.
An NI 43-101 compliant report, Reviewed Preliminary Economic
Assessment, dated May 30, 2012
identified over 1 billion tonnes of aluminous clay in part of this
deposit. Orbite is currently converting its 2,600 m2
pilot plant in Cap-Chat, Quebec,
Canada, into a full-scale high-purity alumina production
facility, and expects this plant to be fully operational by the
first quarter of 2013. The Company also anticipates the launch of
construction of its first SGA plant towards the end of 2013. Orbite
plans to offer SGA and HPA products and to license its low
processing cost technologies to well-qualified producers who want
to reduce their environmental footprint. Orbite has recently
entered into partnerships with the world's largest aluminum
producer, UC Rusal.
Forward-looking statements
Certain information contained in this document may include
"forward-looking information". Without limiting the foregoing, the
information and any forward-looking information may include
statements regarding projects, costs, objectives and future returns
of the Company or hypotheses underlying these items. In this
document, words such as "may", "would", "could", "will", "likely",
"believe", "expect", "anticipate", "intend", "plan", "estimate" and
similar words and the negative form thereof are used to identify
forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements should not
be read as guarantees of future performance or results, and will
not necessarily be accurate indications of whether, or the times at
or by which, such future performance will be achieved.
Forward-looking statements and information are based on information
available at the time and/or the Company management's good-faith
beliefs with respect to future events and are subject to known or
unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other unpredictable
factors, many of which are beyond the Company's control. These
risks uncertainties and assumptions include, but are not limited
to, those described in the section of the Management's Discussion
and Analysis (MD&A) entitled "Risk and Uncertainties" as filed
on March 22, 2012 on SEDAR, and could
cause actual events or results to differ materially from those
projected in any forward-looking statements. The Company does not
intend, nor does it undertake, any obligation to update or revise
any forward-looking information or statements contained in this
document to reflect subsequent information, events or circumstances
or otherwise, except as required by applicable laws.
SOURCE Orbite Aluminae Inc.
