A methodology for the design and evaluation of minerals extraction processes

Imperial Users onl

On the progression of leaching from large particles in heaps

Includes bibliographical references.Although heap leaching is by now a well-established technology choice in the mining industry, the process remains limited by low recoveries and long extraction times. It is becoming increasingly clear that the successful application of heap leaching technology will ultimately depend on having a comprehensive understanding of the underlying fundamental processes for optimisation to take place...The subject of this research was, therefore, to understand more clearly the diffusion reaction phenomena of reagents through large particles and to provide true and reliable physical parameters to formulate the relevant modelling approaches to large particle leaching. A combination of standard optical microscopy, SEM, QEMSCAN and X-ray CT techniques has been used for the characterization of crack networks and mineral dissemination in the ore particles, which are important characteristics that determine the diffusion of reagents into and out of particles and the reactions within

Heap leaching technology – current state, innovations and future directions: A review

Copyright © 2015 Taylor & Francis. This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy Review on 20 November 2015, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/08827508.2015.1115990Heap leaching is a well-established extractive metallurgical technology enabling the economical processing of various kinds of low-grade ores, which could not otherwise be exploited. However, despite much progress since it was first applied in recent times, the process remains limited by low recoveries and long extraction times. It is becoming increasingly clear that the choice of heap leaching as a suitable technology to process a particular mineral resource, which is both environmentally sound and economically viable, very much depends on having a comprehensive understanding of the underlying fundamental mechanisms of the processes and how they interact with the particular mineralogy of the ore body under consideration. This paper provides an introduction to the theoretical background of various heap leach processes, offers a scientific and patent literature overview on technology developments in commercial heap leaching operations around the world, identifies factors that drive the selection of heap leaching as a processing technology, describes challenges to exploiting these innovations, and concludes with a discussion on the future of heap leaching.South Africa Research Chair Initiative (SARChI) - Chair in Mineral BeneficiationNational Research Foundation (NRF) of South Africa - Research Niche Area (RNA) gran

5th International Conference on Nanomaterials Science and Mechanical Engineering

No abstract available.publishe

Entrepreneurship in the Raw Materials Sector

The Entrepreneurship in the Raw Materials Sector proceeding is a collection of papers focusing on the macroeconomic aspects of green growth, the business opportunities in the raw materials sector, and the challenges in entrepreneurship, entrepreneurship training. These papers were presented during the closing conference of LIMBRA (‘Decreasing the negative outcomes of brain drain in the raw materials sector‘), a project funded by EIT Raw Materials in the period of 2019-2021. LIMBRA primarily aims at generating new entrepreneurial ideas in the raw materials sector, and to encourage engineering students graduating in raw materials-related programmes to start their own businesses. This proceeding offers a good summary of our approach, and our results: identify the critical trends in the macroeconomic environment; learn about the specifics of the raw materials markets; develop new business ideas, and rely on your local ecosystem for extra knowledge, mentoring; and finally, help students to "Become stay-at-home entrepreneurs"

Entrepreneurship in the Raw Materials Sector

The Entrepreneurship in the Raw Materials Sector proceeding is a collection of papers focusing on the macroeconomic aspects of green growth, the business opportunities in the raw materials sector, and the challenges in entrepreneurship, entrepreneurship training. These papers were presented during the closing conference of LIMBRA (‘Decreasing the negative outcomes of brain drain in the raw materials sector‘), a project funded by EIT Raw Materials in the period of 2019-2021. LIMBRA primarily aims at generating new entrepreneurial ideas in the raw materials sector, and to encourage engineering students graduating in raw materials-related programmes to start their own businesses. This proceeding offers a good summary of our approach, and our results: identify the critical trends in the macroeconomic environment; learn about the specifics of the raw materials markets; develop new business ideas, and rely on your local ecosystem for extra knowledge, mentoring; and finally, help students to "Become stay-at-home entrepreneurs"

Development of processes for metals recovery from special waste with production of nanoparticles

Mechanical and hydrometallurgical routes have been developed aiming to recover metals from spent batteries such as lithium ion, primary lithium and nickel metal hydride batteries. Moreover nanoparticles of manganese carbonate were synthesized by microemulsione mediated route with the future goal of performing a production of nanoparticles downstream of a hydrometaluurgical process for batteries valorization

Toward lead recovery from lead waste acid batteries by deep eutectic solvents

Lead acid batteries (LABs) can deliver high power, offer robustness, and ease to produce with low maintenance cost. Due to this fact LABS are still the mainstream of the energy storage over other alternative choices. These days, the amount of waste lead acid batteries (WLABs) has undeniably increased due to the expansion of the automotive sector. End-of-life lead disposal has become the major concern. The significant number of WLABs have drawn attention and the challenge is how to recycling the waste properly and efficiently since conventional recycle routes both consume massive energy and release strong acid waste. This thesis addresses the problem by using a greener approach which has been proposed recently. Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) can eliminate the high heat applied, toxic lead soot and concentrated acid. They serve as media for metal extraction and deposition with properties of high solubility of metal salts and wider electropotential window over the aqueous solution. With the aim to recycle WLABs, the fundamental properties and electrochemical behaviour of choline chloride-based DESs of varying HBD composition and their reaction with different lead salts (PbO, PbCO3, PbO2, and PbCl2) were carried out. Thereafter, reline became the solution of choice for lead electrodeposition due to its wide operating range and high solubility for metal. Various parameters that would effect on physicochemical properties and electrochemical behaviour were studied, aiming to optimise the performance. It was found that deposited lead is dependent to mass transport, speciation, applied potential and double layer structure. Furthermore, water doping was exploited to enhance the physicochemical behaviour. 20 wt% H2O reline both with and without PbO powder were studied. The impacts of this aqueous modulation have been investigated; viscosity, conductivity, electropotential window (EPW) and lead solubility as a function of temperature.Open Acces