Pan Global Resources Inc. announced positive metallurgical test results for tin recovery at the La Romana copper-tin-silver discovery in the Escacena Project, southern Spain. Results indicate a premium high-grade tin concentrate is achievable using a conventional gravity separation flowsheet. The tin metallurgy results complement the recently reported copper metallurgy test results that showed saleable, high quality clean copper concentrates can be achieved by conventional froth flotation.

The metallurgical test program was conducted by Wardell Armstrong International (United Kingdom), under the coordination and management of Minepro Solutions SL (Spain). Test result highlights: The tin metallurgy program demonstrates the La Romana Cu-Sn-Ag mineralization is amenable to recovery of saleable tin concentrates. Comminution tests to determine the net energy requirements to grind the tin sample to the product size returned a Bond Ball Mill Work index (BBMWi) value of 13.1 kWh/t, classified as medium hardness.

The results are typical/within the range expected for Iberian Pyrite Belt ores. The head grade assays for the tests were 0.27% Sn and 0.44% Cu. Mineralogical analyses confirm the tin mineralization is almost 100% cassiterite, which is the optimal mineral for recovery of tin.

Particle size analysis to determine grind size indicates the cassiterite is most concentrated in the -106 to +53 micron, and -53 to +10 microns size fractions. Cassiterite liberation characteristics were also best in the finer fractions. The tin concentration flowsheet included initial flotation tests to remove sulfides and copper, followed by gravity separation of tin (cassiterite) from the flotation tailings, and a final flotation stage to recover tin not captured by the previous steps.

The initial sulfide flotation was confirmed as effective for segregating copper and tin minerals, with most of the copper going to a rougher concentrate and the tin going to the tailings. Tailings from the initial flotation were de-slimed and screened to improve the response before undergoing a series of open circuit rougher and cleaner gravity separation steps, using a shaker table to concentrate the tin: Rougher stage gravity confirmed superior tin grades and recoveries for the -106 to +53 microns and -53 to +10 microns, size fractions, and from regrinding of the coarser fractions. The cleaner tests achieved saleable tin concentrate grades at this early stage.

Flotation on residual tailings and finer fraction recovered minor additional tin. The projected closed-circuit results include high overall concentrate grades of 63.2% tin and 58.1% tin recovery, excellent for this style of mineralization. Additional tests will aim to further verify the results and target further optimization to improve recovery and quality of the tin and copper concentrates, along with design and costing studies.

Tin metallurgy program: The tin mineralization at La Romana commonly grades between 0.05% to 0.5% Sn within the copper zone and occasionally exceeds 1% Sn over 1m intervals. Metal zonation is also recognized across the current 1.4km strike length for the deposit, from copper with low tin in the east to copper with increasing tin towards the west where the deposit remains open. A 96kg composite was collected for the metallurgy test work, comprised of sample intervals of drill core from three drill holes within an area of the La Romana deposit where the drilling indicates more continuous higher-grade tin mineralization.

The steps undertaken to produce a saleable tin concentrate from the composite sample. All the tin metallurgy tests were conducted under open-circuit conditions, where a portion of the tin is potentially lost throughout the process as middlings or tailings. However, there is potential to recover additional tin from the middlings and tailings under closed-circuit conditions.

Hence, a final projected closed circuit concentrate grade and recovery was calculated based on open-circuit results, and incorporating estimates of 90% tin recovery from middlings and 10% from tailings.