American Tungsten & Antimony (ATAA) has produced the first antimony ingots from its Antimony Canyon project in Utah. XPS, a subsidiary of Glencore (LON: GLEN), which provided smelting support to the project, called the ingots a "metallurgical milestone.”
Although once viewed as a contaminant, antimony is now categorized as a minor critical mineral and is used in renewable energy, weapons and microelectronics. China is the primary player in the global antimony supply chain, accounting for 48% of mine production in 2023. Through its Antimony Canyon project, ATAA is working to position itself as an emerging critical-mineral company focused on building a Western supply chain.
“Production of the ingots comes at a very busy time for our company but provides tangible evidence that we are on the right track,” said Andre Booyzen, ATAA's managing director and CEO.
XPS received about 100 kilograms of hand-sorted stibnite from the Antimony Canyon project, which it smelted into metal ingots and buttons. ATAA has used these samples to help demonstrate the project’s mine-to-metal potential, according to XPS.
“We were very impressed with the technical capabilities and adherence to tight deadlines by the XPS team in delivering on this project,” added Wiehann Kleynhans, ATAA’s vice-president of downstream operations.
With facilities in Falconbridge, Ont., XPS is a Glencore-owned testing and technology company that provides consulting and piloting services in metallurgy.
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