Developing the Future of Critical Minerals Processing in Australia
Fluoromet is a specialist critical minerals R&D company operating from Berkeley Vale on the NSW Central Coast.
Its technical program is led by Dr Leon Munro, Chief Technology Officer, and supported by a multidisciplinary team that includes six onsite PhD-qualified scientists and engineers. Together, the team brings deep capability across chemistry, process development, analytical testing and engineering.
An Integrated Development Facility
What makes Fluoromet’s operation distinctive is the ability to develop, test, analyse and refine mineral processing pathways in one integrated facility. Rather than relying on separate external laboratories, Fluoromet can move quickly between feedstock characterisation, bench-scale testwork, product recovery, internal validation and process optimisation.
Purpose-Built for Mineral Processing R&D
The facility has been purpose-built to support mineral processing R&D across ores, concentrates and tailings. The site includes a wet laboratory with four fume cabinets, a second wet laboratory currently under construction, dry laboratory and feed preparation areas, an analytics studio, an engineering workshop and dedicated piloting space..
Rapid Internal Testing and Analysis
The analytics studio supports rapid internal testing and technical decision-making. On-site capability includes X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES), laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR).
From Characterisation to Piloting
Within the facility, Fluoromet undertakes feedstock characterisation, dissolution and separation studies, product recovery, internal analytical validation and iterative process optimisation. This integrated workflow allows the team to assess how different ores, concentrates and tailings respond to the process, identify recoverable value streams and refine conditions before moving into piloting.
Working with Real-World Feedstocks
Fluoromet’s current R&D program includes testwork on a range of real-world feedstocks supplied by mining and industry partners. This gives the company a practical platform for developing cleaner, lower-intensity pathways for critical minerals processing from Australian resources.
