In-situ mining without drilling - a paradigm shift in metal extraction

采矿业占世界能源消耗的10%。仅美国采矿业每年就消耗1246万亿Btu。其中大部分与钻探、破碎和矿石运输的物流有关。传统的矿石加工通常使用湿法冶金（高成本、低产量、合理的选择性）或火法冶金（低成本、高产量、低选择性）进行。这两种方法都需要大量的能量输入，并产生大量的废物，例如炉渣或废水。该项目将寻求提出采矿模式的转变，寻求在不钻探的情况下就地提取金属。这将使用一种新型的溶剂过程和一种新的岩石压裂方法，目的是更有选择性，使用更少的能源，更环保。电催化和电解方法可用于从复杂基质中溶解金属和金属化合物。离子介质还可以提高金属提取和提取的选择性和效率。主要问题是粘性介质中的质量传递和反应速率。该项目旨在使用聚焦超声原位溶解矿物。超声已用于辅助钻孔（UAD），但从未与反应性浸出剂一起使用。无需进行大部分的钻孔、移动和处理矸石材料，可以减少80%的能源消耗，并减少尾矿坝和矿渣堆等环境问题。该项目将处理在重要的热液存款类型中常见的各种矿石矿物，如浅成热液金和斑岩铜（包括与我们的合作伙伴ARGO一起在菲律宾的世界级莱潘托存款）。这些矿物及其所含的化学元素对矿物加工业务既构成挑战，也带来机遇。该项目将探索离子液体中常见硫盐矿物的电化学，以评估新的环境友好处理方法的潜力。它将适合学生，无论是在矿物加工/应用地质学/地球化学/矿物学谁是热衷于发展化学和工程技能的学位，或与化学谁是热衷于应用他们的技能在矿物加工行业的学位。 离子液体改变金属的反应性-图片显示氯化铜溶解在8种不同的离子液体中。Alt text：铜在8种离子液体中的溶液。颜色从红色（左）到绿色（中）再到深蓝色（右）

Overview: The mining industry accounts for 10 percent of world energy consumption. The US mining industry alone consumes 1246 Trillion Btu/Year. Much of this is concerned with drilling, crushing and the logistics of ore movement. Traditional ore processing is generally carried out using either hydrometallurgy (high cost, low volume, reasonable selectivity) or pyrometallurgy (lower cost, high volume, low selectivity). Both methods require a large energy input and produce large volumes of waste e.g. slags or waste water. This project will seek to propose a paradigm shift in mining seeking to extract metals in situ without drilling. This will use a new type of solvent process and a novel method of fracturing rock with the aim of being more selective, using less energy, and being more environmentally compatible.Electrocatalytic and electrolytic methods can be used to solubilize metals and metallic compounds from complex matrices. Ionic media can also increase the selectivity and efficiency of metal extraction and winning. The main issue is mass transport and rates of reaction in viscous media. This project aims to use focused ultrasound to dissolve minerals in-situ. Ultrasound has been used for assisted drilling (UAD) but never with a reactive lixiviant. Negating much of the need for drilling and moving and treating gangue material could reduce energy consumption by 80% and reduce environmental issues such as tailings dams and slag heaps. The project will address a diverse group of ore minerals commonly encountered in important hydrothermal deposit types such as epithermal gold and porphyry copper (including the world-class Lepanto deposit, in the Philippines, with our partner ARGO). These minerals, and the chemical elements they host, pose both challenges and opportunities for mineral processing operations. This project will explore the electrochemistry of common sulfosalt minerals in ionic liquids to assess the potential for new environmentally-benign approaches to processing. It will suit a student, either with a degree in mineral processing/applied geology/geochemistry/mineralogy who is keen to develop skills in chemistry and engineering, or with a degree in chemistry who is keen to apply their skills in the mineral processing industry. Ionic liquids change metal reactivity - image shows copper chloride dissolved in 8 different ionic liquids.Alt text: Solutions of copper in 8 ionic liquids. Colours range from red (left) to greens (centre) to deep blue (right)