LATIN AMERICA produce our magnetic concentrate , which is 3.2 % vanadium . It ’ s much better than any other magnet concentrate in the world . It ’ s about 60 % higher when you compare our competitors ,” observes Misk . “ Once we have the magnetic concentrate , it is placed in a rotary kiln , where sodium is added , producing sodium vanadate . We then remove the solids and all the vanadium in the pregnant solution goes through precipitation , where we produce the ammonia meta vanadate ( AMV ).
“ We fuse it dry and remove the ammonia in another furnace ,” he continues . “ Whilst we have V2O5 already , we can then provide it as a powder , or we could melt it in a fusion furnace and produce flakes .
“ The three products that we have after this process are standard-grade V2O5 flake , a high-purity V2O5 flake and a high-purity V2O5 powder .”
To meet increased demand , Largo Resources has also sought to ramp up production across its operations . Producing 903 tonnes in December last year , with a production record of 2,539 tonnes , the company has one of the lowest costs in the world .
“ Our ability to produce vanadium at low cost gives us a lot of competitiveness . Our recovery from ore to product is 79 %, which is one of the highest in the world ,” says Misk .
“ These are the main targets we have been working on : higher production , lower unit cost and very high recovery . To achieve high levels of production , we are increasing our capacity by 25 %. We have a very high cost control and improved maintenance performance . That ’ s the way we unsure excellence results and also take full advantage of the recent high vanadium prices .”
LONG-TERM COMMITMENT Providing a boost to employment figures and the country ’ s economy , Largo Resources seeks to encourage and support workers across its operations . With everyday training and a range of different programmes , 77 employees are presently undertaking scholarships which the company is financially supporting . “ Everything is being achieved
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