Verde AgriTech Confirms Ionic Adsorption with High-Value Magnet Rare Earths; Leachate MREO up to ~300 mg/kg with No Uranium Contaminant

SINGAPORE, Oct. 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Verde AgriTech Ltd. (TSX: NPK | OTCQX: VNPKF) ("Verde” or the “Company”), is pleased to report ionic-adsorption behaviour confirmed across multiple trenches at the Minas Americas Global Alliance Project (“Minas Americas” or the “Project”) in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Ammonium-sulfate leach tests returned primary leach solutions (“PLS”) with very strong magnet rare earth (neodymium (Nd), praseodymium (Pr), dysprosium (Dy), terbium (Tb)) grades and exceptionally low impurities (thorium/ uranium (Th/U) at, or below, detection).

Highlights

Best leachates (0.5M (NH₄)₂SO₄, 30 min): up to 667 mg/kg of DREO (total desorbable rare earth oxide) (“DREO”) and up to 278 mg/kg of magnetic rare earth oxide (“MREO”) (Nd+Pr+Dy+Tb), showing ionic adsorption behaviour and demonstrating strong magnet-REE proportion in these initial tests.NdPr in leachate up to 268 mg/kg (PT‑36), with Dy+Tb up to 9 mg/kg; multiple trenches exceed 150 mg/kg MREO in PLS.Head grades are high and laterally continuous: top MREO samples range 1,306–2,182 ppm, within 6,081–8,930 ppm TREO.Ultra-low contaminants in PLS: Th and U not detected in the best intervals; Fe and Al minimal, supporting selective ion-exchange.

Top Leachate Intervals and Matching Head Grades

Table 1 - Top Disordable Intervals

Project/SourceBasisHead TREO (ppm)Head MREO (ppm)DREO in PLS (mg/kg)MREO in PLS (mg/kg)Nd₂O₃ (mg/kg)Pr₆O₁₁ (mg/kg)Dy₂O₃ (mg/kg)Tb₄O₇ (mg/kg)Key impurity notesPT‑36Trench (0–1 m)7,1811,5936672782095972Th & U ND; Fe NDPT‑34Trench (1–2 m)8,6152,1825782401874572Th & U ND; Fe NDPT‑42Trench (0–1 m)4,6051,0963831671293341Th ND (~3 mg/kg Th max); Fe ND

Notes: DREO and element grades above are measured directly in the primary leach solution (PLS) from ion-exchange tests; Head grades are from the same trench intervals. ND = not detected.

Magnet REEs dominate the leachate (>40% of dissolved REO). The magnet rare-earth oxides (MREO = Nd₂O₃ + Pr₆O₁₁ + Dy₂O₃ + Tb₄O₇) constituted over 40% of the dissolved REO in Verde’s best PLS samples—an exceptional selectivity for the value-driver elements. Quantitatively, PT-36 returned DREO of ~667 mg/kg with MREO of ~278 mg/kg (≈41.7% MREO; NdPr ~268 mg/kg; Dy+Tb ~9 mg/kg). PT-34 (1–2 m) showed DREO of ~578 mg/kg and MREO of ~240 mg/kg (≈41.5%), while PT-42 (0–1 m) reported DREO of ~383 mg/kg and MREO of ~167 mg/kg (≈43.6%). This >40% MREO share—paired with very low Th/U and minimal Fe/Al (iron/aluminium) in solution—indicates high-value, magnet-grade enrichment in the leachate and provides a strong technical basis for efficient downstream upgrading to tight-spec mixed rare earth carbonate (MREC).

Cerium is selectively suppressed in solution. Under the diagnostic 0.5 M ammonium-sulfate, 30-minute leach screen, cerium consistently reports at very low concentrations in the primary leach solution (PLS) relative to the head composition—an ionic-clay hallmark that materially simplifies downstream purification. in Verde’s top intervals, CeO₂ in PLS ranges ~16–91 mg/kg, while the dissolved-REE (DREO) totals 383–667 mg/kg ; that means cerium represents only ~4–14% of dissolved REO in these best samples. For example, at PT-36 (0–1 m) the head assay carries ~3,563 ppm CeO₂ within 7,181 ppm TREO, yet the PLS contains ~91 mg/kg CeO₂ against ~667 mg/kg DREO (≈14% Ce in solution). At PT-34 (0–1 m) and PT-34 (1–2 m), CeO₂ in PLS is ~16–28 mg/kg versus ~383–578 mg/kg DREO (≈4–5% Ce in solution), further confirming preferential desorption of magnet REEs over cerium under mild conditions. Th and U are at or below detection; iron (Fe) is not detected in the best PLS, reinforcing a clean leach signature.

Ionic-Clay Rare Earths — Rarer Geology, Higher Strategic Appeal, and Why “Clean” Clays are King

Ionic-adsorption clays (IACs) are geologically rarer than hard-rock rare-earth systems. They form only where REE-bearing source rocks have been deeply weathered for long periods in warm, humid climates, where the right clay minerals can weakly adsorb REEs and where stable landscapes preserve these horizons close to surface. Those conditions occur in limited belts globally, which is why confirmed IAC districts command outsized strategic interest. Moreover, they are shallow, soft, and tightly aligned to the magnet-grade demand story powering EVs, robots, and wind.

From a developer’s risk lens, well-behaved ionic clays can mitigate key execution risks. Their near-surface, free-digging nature reduces mining complexity; ambient-condition desorption allows compact, modular buildouts; and faster test-iterate cycles are possible if early metallurgy confirms ionic behavior and a “clean” liquor. Cleanliness is king in ionic clays. IAC domains that co-dissolve fewer contaminants (e.g., Fe/Al/Mn/alkalies) typically need fewer purification stages, consume less reagent, simplify residue handling, and enable a tighter-spec mixed rare earth carbonate (MREC) that downstream processors prize. The upshot: lower impurity loads can translate into simpler, smaller circuits and materially lower capital intensity than high-impurity clay variants—accelerating credible pathways to marketable concentrate. The project ultra-low contaminants in PLS are illustrated in Table 2.

Table 2 – Weight Percent (Wt%) of Key Impurities in PLS for Top Disordable Intervals

Project/SourceBasisAl
(Wt%)Ca
(Wt%)Fe
(Wt%)Ni
(Wt%)Th
(Wt%)U
(Wt%)PT‑36Trench (0–1 m)0,003910,01508