---
title: "Empire Metals Reports Breakthrough Titanium Recoveries at Pitfield Project"
publisher: "Share Talk"
author: "sharetalk"
published: "2025-08-28T10:42:00+00:00"
modified: "2025-08-28T10:42:00+00:00"
date: 2025-08-28
canonical: "https://www.share-talk.com/empire-metals-reports-breakthrough-titanium-recoveries-at-pitfield-project/"
category: "Mining"
categories: ["Mining"]
tags: ["Bolnisi", "COPPER", "EEE", "Empire Metals", "Georgia", "Gold", "Greg Kuenzel", "Kalgoorlie", "Mike Struthers", "Neil O'Brien", "Nugget Patch", "Share Talk", "Shaun Bunn", "Teglio", "Western Australia"]
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language: "en-GB"
---

# Empire Metals Reports Breakthrough Titanium Recoveries at Pitfield Project

**Published:** August 28, 2025
**Author:** sharetalk
**Categories:** Mining
**Tags:** Bolnisi, COPPER, EEE, Empire Metals, Georgia, Gold, Greg Kuenzel, Kalgoorlie, Mike Struthers, Neil O'Brien, Nugget Patch, Share Talk, Shaun Bunn, Teglio, Western Australia
**Featured image:** ![](https://i0.wp.com/www.share-talk.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/EEE-6TH-JUNE-2025.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&quality=89&ssl=1)

---

[Empire Metals Limited](https://www.investegate.co.uk/announcement/rns/empire-metals-limited-npv-di---eee/breakthrough-in-process-development/9076537) has announced a major milestone in process development at its **Pitfield Project**, with testwork delivering **exceptional titanium recoveries** and a **high-purity final product**.

Flotation trials returned **77% recoveries in the rougher stage** and **90% in the cleaning stage** from fine, weathered ore samples. Further processing using **direct acid bake and hot-water leach** achieved an impressive **98% titanium dissolution**.

Overall, the testwork indicates **titanium recoveries of around 67%** from flotation feed to final product, with the company confident that recoveries can be improved through additional optimisation. The resulting product achieved a **TiO₂ grade of 99.25%**, with **negligible impurities**.

Empire Metals said the results highlight the **amenability of Pitfield ore to standard mineral separation techniques**, paving the way for a **simplified development pathway**.

**Highlights**

·    Exceptional flotation performance: Recoveries of 77% (rougher stage) and 90% (cleaning stage) from fine, weathered ore samples.

·    Outstanding leach results: Direct acid bake and hot-water leach achieved 98% titanium dissolution, leaving inert quartz residues.

·    High recoveries: Overall titanium recovery from flotation feed to final product is circa 67% and expected to improve with further optimisation of the mineral separation stages.

·    High-purity final product: TiO₂ grading 99.25% with negligible impurities, suitable for titanium sponge metal or pigment production.

·    Cost and environmental advantages: Low Fe₂O₃ (~5%) reduces acid consumption, minimises waste, and supports higher recoveries over typical ilmenite feedstock processing.

·    Simplified, expedited development pathway: Amenability to standard mineral separation eliminates the need for a costly bespoke demonstration plant, enabling a lower-cost continuous pilot programme using accredited commercial laboratories.

**Shaun Bunn, Managing Director, said:**

“These results mark a step change in Pitfield’s development. We now have clear evidence that the ore is ideally suited to conventional mineral separation and refining, producing a high-purity titanium product with strong recoveries. This sets Pitfield apart from ilmenite-based projects, which typically face lower recoveries, higher costs, and significant environmental challenges.

“Pitfield already stands out for its exceptional scale, continuity of high-grade near-surface mineralisation, and Tier 1 location with access to infrastructure. With this breakthrough in process development, we can now demonstrate a highly efficient and environmentally responsible route to producing multiple high-value titanium products.”

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