Metallurgical Testwork at Galena Complex Demonstrates Over 90% Antimony Recovery Supporting Potential Near-Term Primary Antimony Production in the United States

7 hours ago 1

Article content

TORONTO — Americas Gold and Silver Corporation (TSX: USA) (NYSE American: USAS) (“Americas” or the “Company”), a growing North American precious metals producer is pleased to announce promising results from recent metallurgical testing at its Galena Complex in Idaho, confirming high recoveries of antimony alongside strong silver and copper recoveries from ore currently being processed.

Financial Post

THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.

  • Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman, and others.
  • Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.
  • Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.
  • National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.
  • Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.

SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES

Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.

  • Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman and others.
  • Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.
  • Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.
  • National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.
  • Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.

REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES

Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.

  • Access articles from across Canada with one account.
  • Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.
  • Enjoy additional articles per month.
  • Get email updates from your favourite authors.

THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK.

Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.

  • Access articles from across Canada with one account
  • Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments
  • Enjoy additional articles per month
  • Get email updates from your favourite authors

Sign In or Create an Account

or

Article content

Article content

Paul Andre Huet, Chairman and CEO, commented: “I am very excited that results of our test work have successfully demonstrated the potential to recover antimony – which is designated as a critical mineral in the United States – from ore currently being mined at our Galena Complex through a specialized flotation circuit. This breakthrough could significantly enhance value for Americas and its shareholders, as we currently receive no revenue, and were previously penalized for, the antimony in concentrates already produced. Furthermore, we‘re now well positioned as an early mover with the potential to become the only antimony producer in the United States, in the near-term.

Article content

Article content

“Our technical team is moving forward with detailed technical and trade-off studies to develop a plan to rapidly capitalize on the opportunity to commercially recover and realize value for antimony already present in our concentrates.”

Article content

By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.

Article content

Historical Production & Untapped Value

Article content

Antimony at the Galena Complex is hosted in the common sulfosalt mineral, tetrahedrite, which is an antimony sulfide of silver, copper, iron and zinc. Although the Galena Complex has produced significant antimony over its life, the Company historically has not realized value for this material due to its insufficient concentration and quality for smelter acceptance.

Article content

Following a review of historical metallurgical data, the Company commissioned SGS Canada Inc. (“SGS”) to conduct flotation tests on current mill feed. There were two objectives to the testwork:

Article content

  1. Confirm that an antimony/silver flotation product could be achieved from the current ore being processed through the mill.
  2. Generate a sufficient volume of flotation concentrate for additional testing to separate the antimony from the concentrate.

Article content

Test Highlights:

Article content

  • Antimony Recovery: ~90 – 96% from ore grading ~1% Antimony
  • Silver Recovery: ~98 – 99% from ore grading ~50 opt Silver
  • Rougher Concentrate Grades: ~18 – 19% Antimony and ~600 opt Silver

Article content

These test results on the tetrahedrite material indicate that a marketable concentrate may now be possible using modern metallurgical processes. The results from the test work are shown in Table 1 below.

Article content

Table 1: Galena Ore – Antimony Floatation Test Results

Article content

Test 1

Assays

Distribution (%)

Sb

(%)

Ag (g/t)

Ag (opt)

Cu (%)

Pb (%)

Fe (%)

Sb1

Ag

Cu

Pb

Fe

Rougher Concentrate

19.3

20,355

593.4

24.47

0.53

17.5

92.3

98.7

98.3

83.2

4.5

Rougher Tail

25

0.7

0.04

0.01

34.9

1.3

1.7

16.8

95.5

Calculated Head Grade

1,759

51.3

2.12

0.05

33.4

100

100

100

100

Assay Head Grade

1.2

1,790

52.2

2.1

0.05

34.2

Test 2

Assays

Distribution (%)

Sb

(%)

Ag (g/t)

Ag (opt)

Cu (%)

Pb (%)

Fe (%)

Sb1

Ag

Cu

Pb

Fe

Rougher Concentrate

19

20,283

591.3

23.4

0.53

17

90.5

98.9

98.2

83.4

4.3

Rougher Tail

22

0.6

0.04

0.01

35.6

1.1

1.8

16.6

95.7

Calculated Head Grade

1,762

51.4

2.05

0.05

34

100

100

100

100

Assay Head Grade

1.2

1,790

52.2

2.1

0.05

34.2

Test 3

Assays

Distribution (%)

Sb

(%)

Ag (g/t)

Ag (opt)

Cu (%)

Pb (%)

Fe (%)

Sb1

Ag

Cu

Pb

Fe

Rougher Concentrate

17.9

21,132

616.1

24.4

0.57

17.9

93.4

98.7

97.8

84.2

4.5

Rougher Tail

25

0.7

0.05

0.01

35.1

1.3

2.2

15.8

95.5

Calculated Head Grade

1,762

51.4

2.05

0.05

34

100

100

100

100

Assay Head Grade

1.2

1,790

52.2

2.1

0.05

34.2

Test 4

Assays

Distribution (%)

Sb

(%)

Ag (g/t)

Ag (opt)

Cu (%)

Pb (%)

Fe (%)

Sb1

Ag

Cu

Pb

Fe

Rougher Concentrate

18.1

19,836

578.3

22.5

0.5

18.5

96.2

98.3

98.3

83.5

5.1

Rougher Tail

34

1

0.04

0.01

34.6

1.7

1.7

16.5

94.9

Calculated Head Grade

1,844

53.7

2.09

0.06

33.1

100

100

100

100

Assay Head Grade

1.2

1,790

52.2

2.1

0.05

34.2

Note: 1) The antimony (Sb) distribution calculation uses the assay head grade to determine distribution.

Article content

Article content

The test results mark a key step toward establishing Americas Gold and Silver as the only current antimony producer in the United States, unlocking a new revenue stream from a strategic by-product, previously counted as a penalty element, of the Galena ore body.

Article content

Background: Antimony as a Strategic Critical Mineral

Article content

Antimony is recognized by the U.S. government as one of 35 elements on the Department of the Interior’s Critical Minerals List due to its use in national defense, energy storage, and semiconductor applications. Currently, more than 90% of the antimony consumed in the United States is imported, primarily from China, Russia, and Tajikistan. At present, there are no operating mines producing antimony in the United States.

Article content

Over 18 million pounds of antimony have been produced from the Galena Complex since 2001. Americas Gold and Silver is positioned to become the only antimony producer in the U.S. if the potential for commercial recovery and product refinement can be achieved. This milestone would represent a significant development in restoring domestic supply of a mineral deemed essential to U.S. national and economic security, particularly since China stopped selling antimony to the U.S. in September 2024.

Article content

Antimony is on the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Critical Minerals List due to its strategic applications in:

Article content

  • Defense: alloys in ammunition and armor
  • Energy: grid-scale battery storage
  • Semiconductors: flame retardants and high-tech applications

Article content

Current U.S. Antimony Supply Landscape:

Article content

  • Zero operating primary antimony mines
  • >90% imported (mainly from China, Russia, and Tajikistan)
  • No meaningful domestic production

Article content

Global Antimony Supply (Estimated % of World Production 2024):

Article content

Country

Share of Global Production

China

~55–60%

Russia

~20%

Tajikistan

~10%

Others

~10–15%

Sources: USGS, Roskill, CRU Group

Article content

With no active domestic production, the U.S. is entirely dependent on foreign sources—a strategic vulnerability that Americas Gold and Silver may be uniquely positioned to help address.

Article content

Galena’s Legacy and Opportunity

Article content

Since 2001, the Galena Complex has produced over 18 million pounds of antimony, making it the largest antimony-producing site in the U.S. over the past two decades. However, until now, no revenue was recognized from this output due to limitations in concentrate quality.

Article content

Recent testing suggests that modern processes can now:

Read Entire Article