Access to the resource
The first test is access. The project needs lawful, dependable access to a resource stream, with enough information to understand its volume, composition and variability.
Repeatable performance
The second is repeatability. A recovery or synthesis route must produce acceptable results across representative batches, not just one selected sample. Tests should track both valuable constituents and contaminants.
A customer specification
The third is customer acceptance. Purity is not a complete specification. Particle properties, mineral structure, moisture, consistency and application performance may all affect whether a customer can use the product.
A destination for every stream
The fourth is the management of remaining streams. Solids, process water, concentrates and other outputs need defined, costed destinations. A product sale does not remove those responsibilities.
Full-cost economics
The fifth is full-cost economics. Service income and realistic product receipts must be compared with feedstock logistics, reagents, utilities, labour, maintenance, quality control and the cost of equipment and finance.
Choose the practical route
The route that wins these tests may be simpler than the most ambitious laboratory option. The goal is a dependable project and a useful product, not complexity for its own sake.