The re-direction of small deposit mining: Technological solutions for raw materials supply security in a whole systems context
The re-direction of small deposit mining: Technological solutions for raw materials supply security in a whole systems context
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DOI：
10.1016/j.rcrx.2020.100040
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发表时间：
2020-07-11
影响因子：
--
通讯作者：
Bloodworth AJ
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Moore KR;Whyte N;Roberts D;Allwood J;Leal-Ayala DR;Bertrand G;Bloodworth AJ
大规模开采低品位矿石是能源密集型的，并产生大量废物。它对生产相对少量的特殊金属的适用性有限。通过限制对高品位矿床的开采来限制对环境的影响的办法，要求对作为金属替代来源的小型矿床进行调查。小额存款的投资回报与确保投资所需的昂贵调查和管理风险的高成本不相容。但是，能源和运输成本的增加可能会在市场上为具有高度竞争力的技术解决方案的小型矿床采矿创造空间。可以说，小型矿床开采是合乎道德的，因为它必须涉及采矿公司与当地居民之间的合作，当地居民对他们的生活质量有共同的期望和责任。然而，小型矿床开采往往是一项有限的短期举措，需要考虑矿山的长期“寿命”。这份手稿是五年来跨部门对话和利益攸关方参与活动的成果。它讨论了什么是小型存款，并描述了采矿和制造业，投资，环境和社会之间的相互作用。它得出的结论是，技术创新将支持小型存款采矿业作为多样化原材料生产部门的一个重要组成部分重新出现。我们不建议回到过去的方法，开采小型高品位矿床，而是考虑本地化，面向社区的采矿过程的替代叙述，从而为当今的需求提供社会，经济和环境背景。
Large-scale mining of low-grade ores is energy-intensive and generates vast wastes. It has limited suitability for production of specialist metals that are required in relatively small quantities. An approach that limits environmental impact by restricting mining to high-grade deposits requires the investigation of small ore deposits as alternative sources of metals. The return on investment from small deposits is incompatible with the expensive surveys needed to secure investment and the high costs of managing risk. But increasing energy and transport costs may create space in the market for small-deposit mining with highly-competitive technological solutions. It can be argued that small-deposit mining is ethical because it must involve cooperation between mining companies and local residents who share a collective expectation and responsibility for their quality of life. However, small-deposit mining tends to be a limited, short-term initiative, which requires consideration of the extended ‘afterlife’ of mines. This manuscript is the culmination of five years of cross-sector dialogue and stakeholder engagement activities. It debates what constitutes a small deposit and describes the interactions between mining and manufacturing, investment, environment and society. It reaches the conclusion that technological innovations will support the re-emergence of small deposit mining as an important part of a diverse raw materials production sector. We do not suggest a return to past approaches, to mining of small, high-grade deposits, but a consideration of alternative narratives of localised, community-orientated mining processes, thus giving social, economic and environmental context to the needs of the present day.