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LONDON (Alliance News) - Sunrise Resources PLC on Wednesday said testwork on its CS pozzolan-perlite project in Nevada shows promise for the production of premium-value horticultural grades of perlite.
Perlite is a volcanic glass that, when heated, expands in size and can be used to grow plants as it aids water retention and helps aerate soil.
Testwork has shown that perlite from the CS pozzolan-perlite project can be heated to produce super-coarse horticultural grades of perlite, which is only available in restricted tonnages and can "command a premium price".
There have also been positive results from trials that use Sunrise Resources' natural pozzolan in concrete.
The company has completed a further programme of bulk sampling at the project, including the submission of a seven-tonne perlite sample for crushing and screening, an 18-tonne pozzolan sample sent to be milled, and a 100-tonne perlite sample extracted for further processing and testing with customers.
Sunrise Resources intends to submit a plan of operation and reclamation permit application to produce pozzolan and perlite for the project this month. An emissions inventory is almost complete and will then be added to a federal environmental assessment & state air quality permit application. A water source has been found and water rights and development rights of way applications have been submitted.
As a result of procedural changes by the US regulator, Sunrise Resources now expected its permitting will be delayed to the fourth quarter of 2019.
Sunrise Executive Chair Patrick Cheetham said: "I am pleased to provide this detailed update on our progress with permitting and market development testwork as we continue to prove the value of our natural pozzolan and perlite with future customers. Gaining market acceptance is a long process for industrial minerals such as perlite and pozzolan but I am pleased with our progress and market developments mean both products are increasingly in demand. I am also pleased to be reporting positive developments on our NewPerl perlite and new interest in our County Line diatomite project."
Shares in Sunrise Resources were down 1.5% at 0.11 pence on Wednesday afternoon.
