KAP Minerals Inc. has announced a memorandum of understanding with Cymat Technologies Ltd. on a joint venture to produce and sell a durable metal known as scandium-aluminum in Canada. “The partnership would combine scandium oxide expected to be recovered from KAP and Kapuskasing critical minerals project in northern Ontario with Cymat’s unique aluminum-processing technology and manufacturing expertise,” both companies said in a news release late last month. When a small amount of scandium is added to aluminum, it creates a stronger metal that is still lightweight and resistant to corrosion. It’s often used in manufacturing aircraft where durability and weight are important factors. It’s also used in manufacturing fuel cells, ceramics and metal-halide lamps. Aerospace, defence manufacturing “Cymat’s proprietary flux-free alloying process will be employed to produce a Sc-Al master alloy with superior purity,” the news release said. “These properties make it particularly attractive for aerospace, defence and advanced manufacturing applications. The proposed joint venture aims to establish a domestic manufacturing capability that converts Canadian scandium into a commercially usable advanced material.” In addition to domestic uses, the agreement also makes it a “potential new source of supply for allied markets.” “Canada has a significant opportunity to move beyond critical mineral extraction and become a producer of the advanced materials that global industries depend on,” Geoff Hampson, CEO of KAP Minerals, said in the release. “Our partnership with Cymat brings together Canadian resources and Canadian manufacturing technology to develop a strategically important product for aerospace and defence. We see this as an opportunity to establish a competitive Canadian business while strengthening our country’s role in allied industrial supply chains.” In addition to supplying critical minerals, the companies said Canada has a chance to enhance its high-tech manufacturing industry. “The KAP–Cymat initiative seeks to address this opportunity by establishing an integrated Canadian supply chain, from scandium recovery in northern Ontario to master alloy manufacturing in Ontario,” the companies said. “For too long, governments ripped and shipped Ontario’s critical mineral advantage, leaving Canada’s number one mineral- producing province dependent on foreign suppliers when we have the resources, supply chains and capacity to process here at home,” Stephen Lecce, Ontario Minister of Energy and Mines, said in the release. “This joint venture is another step forward in building end-to-end made-in-Ontario supply chains, leveraging northern Ontario’s critical minerals to support defense capabilities and national security across Canada and around the world.”
