Brazil Potash’s subsidiary Potássio do Brasil has reported preliminary ore-sorting results that increased potassium chloride (KCl) concentration in a sample from its Autazes project in Amazonas. Fertilizer Daily, citing Minera Brasil, said trials conducted with engineering firm ERCOSPLAN lifted the sample’s KCl content from about 13% to about 27%. The rejected material contained 1% to 2% KCl. The results were reported on 13 October.
The tests used artificial intelligence-assisted X-ray transmission (XRT) sorting to separate lower-grade material before conventional processing. According to Fertilizer Daily, roughly one-fifth of the lower-grade material could be diverted before entering the plant, potentially leaving more processing capacity available for richer ore. Brazil Potash cautioned, however, that the sample was small and the findings preliminary. Performance at industrial scale has not been established, and implementation would require further technical and economic assessment.
The system examines individual ore particles using X-rays and deep-learning models trained on millions of images to assess characteristics including shape, size and colour. Rapidly activated valves direct air jets at lower-grade particles to remove them from the flow. ERCOSPLAN estimates that 40% to 55% of the material scheduled for extraction will be larger than approximately 8 millimetres, the particle size used for the first trials.
Two possible applications are being assessed. Pre-concentrating feed ahead of hot leaching could allow production to increase without constructing a third mine shaft. Alternatively, sorting could make parts of the deposit that are currently too low-grade to mine economically suitable for extraction, potentially lengthening the operation’s life. Chief executive Matt Simpson described higher output or a longer mine life as possible sources of flexibility, conditional on additional testing and studies.
Brazil Potash plans initial annual production of up to 2.4 million tonnes, with the entire volume intended for domestic sales. Management estimates that this could meet about 20% of Brazil’s current potash demand. Fertilizer Daily noted that Brazil imports almost all of its potash. The company intends to test a substantially larger sample after commercial production starts and undertake further engineering and economic work. The XRT testing programme was first announced in December 2025.