Morella Corporation Reports 89% Rubidium Extraction in ECU Mt Edon Test Work

Morella Corporation (ASX: 1MC) has confirmed high rubidium extraction rates from hydrometallurgical test work Edith Cowan University (ECU) has undertaken on material from its Mt Edon project in Western Australia.

The program achieved up to 89% extraction under roast–leach conditions, validating the technical pathway for processing microcline-hosted rubidium mineralisation and positioning Mt Edon among Australia’s leading rubidium-focused projects.

Managing director Mr James Brown said the results demonstrated a technically robust and commercially relevant process, with further optimisation to follow.

Strong Metallurgical Performance

The ECU program tested several leach regimes and reagent combinations, achieving the highest recovery using a salt-blend roast followed by leaching.

The process also produced strong potassium extraction of 92.6%, indicating that both metals can be efficiently liberated from Mt Edon’s microcline-rich pegmatites.

Mineralogical analysis confirmed that rubidium predominantly occurs in microcline rather than mica phases, allowing improved leach kinetics and reagent efficiency.

Mr Brown said the results provide a strong foundation for future process development and economic modelling, adding that the company will now work closely with ECU to refine reagent ratios, residence times and temperature conditions.

Next-Stage Optimisation Program

Building on the successful results, Morella and ECU will advance a structured optimisation and variability testing program to confirm the consistency of extraction across multiple pegmatite zones.

The next phase will include locked-cycle testing to measure process stability, reagent consumption and recovery repeatability under continuous operating conditions, and the company will also evaluate beneficiation options such as density or optical sorting to reduce feed volume and improve overall efficiency.

ECU’s mass-balance data will feed into a scoping-level economic assessment to define potential processing pathways and capital intensity.

The company believes this stage will translate the laboratory success into a scalable, commercially viable process.

Strategic Project Development

Located 5 kilometres southwest of Paynes Find in WA’s midwest section, Mt Edon hosts a series of highly fractionated pegmatites enriched in rubidium and lithium.

Two of the project’s three tenements belong to a joint venture with Elevra Lithium (ASX: ELV), in which Morella holds a 51% interest in pegmatite mineral rights.

Previous drilling confirmed stacked bodies up to 80m wide and more than 600m in strike, with assays up to 0.59% rubidium oxide.

Mr Brown said Mt Edon’s combination of grade, scale and extraction performance underpins its growing role within Morella’s broader critical minerals portfolio, adding that the results mark a decisive step toward defining a sustainable rubidium supply chain for advanced glass, electronics, and defence applications.