Andromeda Metals Limited announced that a bulk sample drilling program has commenced at the Great White Deposit, located on the Eyre Peninsula of South Australia which is in joint venture between ADN (75%) and Minotaur Exploration Limited (25%). The drilling will provide material for multiple projects aimed at developing new markets that will be in addition to the current Definitive Feasibility Study's (DFS) Great White CRMTM (for ceramics) and Great White PRMTM (coatings) products. The drilling will provide about 1.5 tonnes of high purity halloysite kaolin to ADN and MEP's 50:50 JV Company, Natural Nanotech Ltd, which in partnership with University of Newcastle's Global Innovative Centre for Advanced Nanomaterials (GICAN), are undertaking R&D into new technology applications of halloysite nanotubes.

Andromeda is in the process of installing a large pilot-scale kaolin processing centrifuge at the Streaky Bay pilot plant which will be used to upgrade halloysite purity. Great White halloysite-kaolin has previously been successfully synthesized by GICAN to create advanced nanomaterials to specifically adsorb CO2 from a mixture of gases, up to 1.1 tonne of CO2 per tonne of material has been achieved, and work is ongoing to target the capture of 2 tonnes of CO2 per tonne of material. The Great White JV's Streaky Bay pilot plant has been upgraded to replicate the proposed wet processing production plant flow sheet with new screening and hydro-cyclones to achieve the Great White PRMTM product in line with the product specifications for the MSI Binding Offtake Agreement.

This has finalised the testing required for the Definitive Feasibility Study and 70 kilograms of ultrabright, high purity product of greater than 90% powdered brightness has been produced as marketing samples for delivery to offtake partners. Material from the current drilling program will be refined at the JV's Streaky Bay pilot plant before being sent to GICAN. There the halloysite will be used for the production and functionalisation of nanotubes that will be used in a direct air and direct emissions capture carbon capture pilot plant.

The carbon capture pilot plant has been designed to be able to continuously capture and discharge this CO2 and convert it into a clean fuel such as methanol, which will effectively close the carbon loop. Great White halloysite nanotubes (HNT) have remarkable selective adsorptive and differentially chargeable properties and can be functionalised and/or engineered to create advanced nanomaterial frameworks for a range of new technology uses. Kaolin from the 34Mt Great White Resource containing about 40% halloysite has been specifically functionalised to adsorb CO2 at over 25 mmol/gm at O°C/30 bar.

It is anticipated that the material currently being extracted will achieve a much higher halloysite purity and increase the carbon capture ability significantly.