Chilwa Minerals Unveils High-Grade Multi-Product Potential at Mposa Deposit

Metallurgical Breakthrough at Mposa

Chilwa Minerals Limited (ASX – CHW) has announced compelling metallurgical testwork results from its flagship Mposa deposit in Malawi, confirming the potential to produce multiple high-value mineral products. The recent bulk processing and mineral separation tests, conducted on a 4.2-tonne composite sample, demonstrate strong recoveries and product qualities for ilmenite, zircon, garnet, and monazite, with further work planned on rutile.

Ilmenite, the primary titanium dioxide source, showed a remarkable 95% recovery from the heavy mineral concentrate, yielding a product grading 51% TiO₂ with exceptionally low uranium and thorium impurities. This high-quality ilmenite can be produced using conventional magnetic separation techniques without the need for attrition scrubbing, underscoring the deposit’s metallurgical robustness.

Diversified Product Suite Enhances Project Economics

Alongside ilmenite, the testwork confirmed a zircon product with 47% recovery and a combined ZrO₂+HfO₂ assay of 66%. Although the zircon contains moderate levels of uranium and thorium, Chilwa plans further processing to reduce these levels, enhancing market acceptance. Garnet concentrate, grading 57% almandine garnet, was produced at a 72% recovery rate, offering an additional revenue stream from industrial abrasives markets.

Significantly, monazite, a rare earth phosphate mineral critical for clean energy technologies, was recovered at an 88% rate into a concentrate grading 14.2% monazite. This positions Chilwa to tap into the growing strategic demand for rare earth elements outside China, aligning with global energy transition trends. While rutile product quality remains unconfirmed due to limited sample mass, further testwork is planned to evaluate its potential.

Pathway to Scoping Study and Commercialisation

The metallurgical results form the foundation for developing a detailed process flow sheet, which Chilwa is advancing in collaboration with TZ Minerals International. The scoping study, expected to conclude in Q4 2025, will refine the processing strategy and final product suite, balancing technical complexity and economic viability.

Managing Director Cadell Buss highlighted the strategic importance of these findings, noting that the ability to produce market-specification ilmenite and zircon, alongside garnet and rare earth by-products, significantly enhances the project’s economic and geopolitical appeal. The results also dovetail with ongoing exploration efforts targeting a separate rare earth carbonatite deposit, potentially adding further value.

Strategic Implications and Market Outlook

Chilwa’s multi-product approach mitigates market risks by diversifying revenue streams across pigments, ceramics, abrasives, and clean energy sectors. The low impurity ilmenite and high-grade zircon products are well-positioned to meet stable global demand, while garnet and monazite offer promising by-product economics and strategic leverage in rare earth supply chains.

Overall, the metallurgical testwork results mark a significant milestone for Chilwa Minerals, reinforcing the Mposa deposit’s potential as a cornerstone asset within its broader critical minerals portfolio.