Zinc Cathode Produced Using AmmLeach Technology

4 April 2014

Alexander Mining plc

('Alexander' or the 'Company')

World's First Zinc Cathode Produced Using AmmLeach® Technology

Alexander is delighted to announce that in preparation for the proposed full scale pilot plant testing of zinc oxides from properties in Turkey which are to be acquired shortly by Ebullio Mining Limited (an update of which was released on 1 April 2014), it has conducted breakthrough testwork on samples from the properties at the independent commercial facilities of Simulus Laboratories ('Simulus'), Perth, Western Australia, under the supervision of Alexander's and Simulus' technical personnel. The importance and results of the testwork are as follows:

1. Successful demonstration, using conventional equipment, at ambient temperature and pressure, of bulk leaching trials at Simulus' Perth test facility, and piloting of the solvent extraction and electrowinning stages, to produce high grade zinc cathode.

2. This represents the first successful demonstration of AmmLeach® technology for zinc and the first solvent extraction of zinc from primary oxide ores using ammoniacal leaching.

3. Zinc oxide ores have hitherto been considered largely untreatable and represent some of the highest grade base metal near surface deposits left undeveloped in the world.

4. The AmmLeach® technology allows a high marketable grade primary zinc product to be recovered from oxide ore and represents a radical shift from the traditional zinc refining approach employed for zinc sulphides and oxides.

5. The robust nature of the AmmLeach® technology allows great flexibility to tailor extraction conditions to suit the varying mineralogical compositions present within and between deposits.

Simulus Laboratories is part of the Simulus Group, an Australia based specialist process plant development group of companies comprising Simulus Laboratories, Simulus Engineers and Mobile and Modular Plant (MMP). The group specialises in the development and delivery of new hydro-metallurgical processes around the world.

Martin Rosser, CEO, said: "Alexander has achieved a world first in using its AmmLeach® technology to produce a marketable grade zinc cathode. We have already built up an extensive database of all of the world's major zinc oxide deposits and conducted favourable AmmLeach® amenability testwork on samples from a significant number. Zinc oxide deposits are highly attractive in terms of high average zinc grades and ease of mining. However, the inherent processing challenges have meant that almost all remain unexploited except those with grades highest enough to justify direct shipment (+20-25% zinc). Now we strongly believe that this has all changed with the potential application of our patented AmmLeach® technology. Accordingly, our commercialisation activities will be significantly boosted by this breakthrough as we work towards agreeing licences for our technology with third parties."

ENDS

For further information please contact: 

Martin Rosser Matt Sutcliffe

Chief Executive Officer Executive Chairman

Mobile: + 44 (0) 7770 865 341 Mobile: +44 (0) 7887 930 758

Alexander Mining plc

1st Floor

35 Piccadilly

London

W1J 0DW

Tel: +44 (0) 20 7292 1300

Fax: +44 (0) 20 7292 1313

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.alexandermining.com

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